Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem came to the Tampa Bay area on Monday, where she praised the partnership between the federal government and Florida law enforcement agencies in cracking down on undocumented immigration
“Florida has been, I think, the state that has provided the most law enforcement agreements under the 287(g) than any other state” she said at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in Bradenton. “It shows that they recognize the importance of bringing individuals to justice that have [been] convicted [of] crimes against the people that live in their communities.”
Under legislation passed by GOP lawmakers in Tallahassee earlier this year, all 67 counties in Florida are required to enter into 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That program allows local law enforcement to work with ICE to deport undocumented immigrants. Although municipalities in Florida are not required to enter into those agreements, hundreds of them have — including Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and St. Petersburg.
Noem said she came to West Central Florida on Monday because often “we see the news distorting the truth and not bringing the real facts” to the public when it comes to ICE detaining “criminal illegal aliens.”
She specifically cited the cases of four undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds who have recently been detained and deported.
Since January, Noem said, DHS has arrested more than 480,000 undocumented immigrants, 70% of whom she said had either been charged or convicted of criminal allegations. However, according to data obtained by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, as of Sept. 21, 71.5% held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction.
She also touted how effective the Trump administration’s offer to allow people to “self-deport” has been. DHS has promised to give individuals who wish to return to their countries of origin $1,000 each and one-way airplane tickets.
The DHS reported last month 1.6 million people have voluntarily self-deported and more than 400,000 people have been deported since Jan. 20.
Noem also reported that since ICE began advertising for 10,000 new agents, the agency has received more than 175,000 applicants.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
7 comments on this item
Only paid subscribers can comment
Please log in to comment by clicking here.
Charlene
In the same week where we are talking about wasteful spending, why did Police State Barbie have to fly down HERE to grandstand?
Monday, October 20 Report this
lib224
She lies a lot.
Wednesday, October 22 Report this
jimandlope
Being a good liar is a qualification to work for Trump after all, who lies more the him? Jim Tierney
Wednesday, October 22 Report this
Cat L
This is so f***ed up, for such a long list of reasons.
Wednesday, October 22 Report this
Smartins
"Where's Cricket?"
Wednesday, October 22 Report this
rayfusco68
It is important to note the exact wording that is used by representatives of this administration. For example "charged or convicted of criminal allegations". A lot of people are "charged" and what are the "criminal allegations". This administration has become very adept at using weasel words, out right lies, as well as answer avoidance in congressional hearings. Is this the kind of government we want?
Wednesday, October 22 Report this
dreed135
With the tens of millions of illegal immigrants who have entered this country in the past two decades, who have taxed our resources and modified our culture beyond recognition, why is there so much angst against removing them? I understand that there are may good and wonderful people among the illegal entrants, but I look at deportations of people from Canida, Europe and even England (recognizing that England is a prat of Europe but also our historical roots with that nation) and I am aghast at this outcry in support of retaining the illegals. It matters not to me whether they are criminal in activity or not. They are criminal by their very presence here as entrants not following our immigration protocol. Ours is a nation founded on and developed by immigration which has an orderly set of rules and regulations designed to enhance, enrich and preserve our foundational way of life. Out of the vast and varied nations which have furnished us with immigrants over the past two hundred fifty years, which group has caused us to print virtually every instruction and direction in duality? Spanish! If we are going to enforce immigration rules with the strictest of interpretation against our Canadian and European allies as we have been, then we need to not only execute the same, but enhance enforcement against the onslaught of southern border illegal entrants. Period.
Wednesday, October 22 Report this