Florida Police Gain ICE Authority, Funnel Migrants to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Florida intensified its role in federal immigration enforcement this week after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement became certified under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program, allowing state officers to carry out certain federal duties such as making immigration arrests. The move builds on a parallel initiative by the Florida Highway Patrol, which has been operating under 287(g) authority since March. FHP officials say troopers have transferred about 3,300 people found to be in the country illegally to federal custody after routine traffic stops. During a six-hour ride-along on 11 July, reporters observed eight stops that resulted in 20 migrants being handed to Border Patrol agents. Detainees are being routed to “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new state-run, 3,000-bed detention complex in the Everglades approved by Governor Ron DeSantis to speed removal proceedings. State officials say the surrounding swampland provides a natural security barrier. Civil-liberties advocates question whether deputizing state troopers diverts resources from traditional policing and raises due-process issues. Michelle R. Suskauer, former president of the Florida Bar, said the expanded use of 287(g) raises “important questions about public-safety priorities, legal safeguards, and the effective use of state resources.” The DeSantis administration argues the partnerships are necessary to support federal deportation efforts.