WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A prominent Florida sheriff is clarifying his comments on immigration enforcement.
It comes after longtime Polk county sheriff Grady Judd got attention on Monday for saying not every undocumented migrant should be deported.
Judd says he’s simply providing input and feedback to the state immigration committee that he is a part of, claiming he’s not deviating from any policy, rather saying that Congress needs to work on reforming immigration enforcement.
Judd spoke out on Monday during a State Immigration Enforcement Council meeting, according to Florida Phoenix.
“While Congress sits on their hands and does nothing about this, we are on the ground floor with this, day in and day out, looking into the eyes of the folks that, yes, came here inappropriately, but some came here inappropriately only to do better for themselves and their family,” Judd said.
Judd was tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the immigration committee.
His comments mark a shift with the hardline immigration policies pushed by the president and governor. DeSantis, last week, touted the state’s immigration crackdowns.
“We have full scale cooperation, (we’re the) only state where all the agencies state and local are required to assist and participate along DHS in this important mission and I think people look to Florida for leadership,” DeSantis said.
At the end, the committee decided to address their immigration concerns by drafting a letter to the president and congress.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was asked about the letter.
“I would not support the letter,” Uthmeier said. “I haven’t seen the letter, but (I’m) happy to take a look at it.”
Monday’s meeting sparked Judd to dismiss reports Tuesday that he’s not in support of the governor and president.
“Any illusion that we’re not supporting the president or the government is absolutely false. We’re providing input. We’re providing feedback.
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, responded to the sheriff’s remarks. In a social media post, she said “Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is laying out the reality our law enforcement agents face every day: our immigration laws are outdated, and the current enforcement model is simply not sustainable.”
Judd said he hasn’t heard back from the Trump administration in regard to his proposal. Local 10 News also reached out to the Broward and Miami-Dade sheriff’s offices to get their response and take, but have not heard back as of the time of this story’s publication.
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