Florida's sheriff is taking a stand against illegal immigration, making a bold statement to those living in the state illegally ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration.
“And I leave with this message: 'I'm heading down south.' If I did it myself, I could avoid a lot of prison time with self-deportation, but now it's time to go south.” County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference Wednesday.
Grady joined Gov. Ron DeSantis and several other local and state officials at a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss actions to combat illegal immigration.
Judd said cracking down on illegal immigration would lead to a reduction in crime.
Florida proposal would ban illegal immigrants in the U.S. from attending some universities
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
“Florida needs to set an example for other states and support our president.” [Trump] “This is to eliminate criminals who are victimizing our people,” Judd said.
During the press conference, Judd also shared several specific examples of crimes involving illegal immigrants, including murder, DUI manslaughter, and organized theft rings.
DeSantis echoed Judd's sentiments, saying he is confident the second Trump administration will take swift action on the outgoing Biden administration's immigration policies.
Florida sheriff tells Congress 'shame on everyone' after bust of illegal immigrant in human trafficking investigation
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed to help President-elect Trump crack down on illegal immigration. (Getty Images)
“We Floridians have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said. “The mission is very simple: We must end this illegal immigration crisis in the United States of America once and for all.”
Florida has been criticized on a number of occasions, including an “illegal” catch-and-release policy at its southern border and, most recently, the state's alleged refusal to assist states in removing noncitizens from their voter rolls in the 2024 election. sued the Biden administration.
Florida human trafficking crackdown arrests 157 people, including 25 illegal immigrants
Then-President Trump greets Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis at a campaign rally in Estero, Florida, on October 31, 2018. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
DeSantis had scheduled a special session to begin the week after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to fight illegal immigration, including detention and removal. The governor said the state must uphold President Trump's commitment to combat illegal immigration and work to “make sure there is no lingering incentive for people to enter the country illegally.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, President Trump thanked DeSantis for calling the special session and said, “I hope other governors will follow suit!”
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com.
