Florida is leading the charge on immigration enforcement while Democrats watch their sanctuary city fantasy crumble.
One announcement just put the Left on notice about what’s coming next.
And Florida sheriffs just got handed $1.8 million for one purpose that has open borders activists in full panic mode.
DeSantis and Trump turn Florida sheriffs into deportation force
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia stood before a group of Northeast Florida sheriffs Tuesday with something Democrats hate — cold hard cash for enforcing immigration law.¹
More than $1.8 million in state funding is heading to sheriff’s offices across the region to support their partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.²
"Florida has led the nation in fighting against the high cost of illegal immigration," Ingoglia said.³
The funding comes through the Florida State Board of Immigration — which Ingoglia serves on alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.⁴
It’s all part of the federal 287(g) program that’s got the ACLU and open borders groups absolutely losing their minds.
The 287(g) program turns designated local law enforcement officers into ICE force multipliers who can identify, arrest, and process illegal aliens for deportation.⁵
St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is getting the lion’s share — $1 million.⁶
Clay County gets $606,151, Putnam County receives $188,384, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office gets $94,000, and Bradford County Sheriff’s Office receives $25,683.⁷
That money will purchase equipment, provide training, and issue bonuses to officers certified under the program.⁸
Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith delivered a message that probably sent chills down the spines of immigration activists watching.
"We lock our doors not out of fear, but out of love — love for what’s right, love for our people, and love for a nation we’ve sworn to protect," Smith said.⁹
Florida becomes national model for immigration crackdown
Here’s what the media won’t tell you about what’s really happening in Florida.
The Sunshine State isn’t just participating in immigration enforcement — it’s setting the standard for how it’s done.
Florida now has 327 active 287(g) agreements with ICE — a staggering 577% increase since January 2025 when President Trump took office.¹⁰
That’s not an accident.
DeSantis pushed through legislation during a February special session that mandated all 67 county sheriffs enter into these federal partnerships.¹¹
Open borders advocates immediately started screaming about civil rights and filed lawsuits, but DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier didn’t blink.
The state allocated $250 million in grants specifically for local law enforcement agencies participating in immigration enforcement.¹²
On top of that, ICE awarded Florida $38.4 million in federal reimbursement — with $28.4 million going to state law enforcement and $10 million to local agencies.¹³
This $1.8 million Northeast Florida announcement is just the beginning of that money hitting the streets.
The funding covers transportation costs, equipment purchases for nearly 1,000 local officers, and bonuses for deputies doing the actual work of arresting and detaining illegal aliens.¹⁴
ICE only has about 6,000 deportation agents nationwide to handle Trump’s ambitious enforcement goals.¹⁵
Without local law enforcement stepping up, mass deportations simply can’t happen at the scale needed to secure the border and remove dangerous criminals.
That’s exactly why left-wing groups are panicking about the 287(g) program expansion.
The American Civil Liberties Union called it a program that "turns local police into deportation agents" and complained about "masked deportation squads" operating across Florida.¹⁶
Good.
That means it’s working.
The program gives specially trained officers the authority to question suspected illegal aliens about their immigration status during routine traffic stops and arrests.¹⁷
Officers can also serve ICE administrative warrants and hold illegal aliens in county jails for up to 48 hours beyond their release date so ICE can pick them up.¹⁸
Follow the money to see who’s really running immigration policy
Blaise Ingoglia isn’t your typical bureaucrat.
The 54-year-old homebuilder and professional poker player moved to Florida in 1996 with $1,600 in his pocket.¹⁹
He built a mortgage company, then founded Hartland Homes construction business, and eventually served as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida from 2015 to 2019.²⁰
DeSantis tapped Ingoglia as Chief Financial Officer in July 2025 after Jimmy Patronis left to run for Congress.²¹
The appointment came despite President Trump endorsing state Senator Joe Gruters for the position — a rare break between Trump and DeSantis on personnel picks.²²
But DeSantis wanted someone completely loyal who would aggressively pursue his agenda on immigration and property tax relief.
Ingoglia delivered.
He’s been barnstorming across Florida since taking office, holding what he calls "Government Gone Wild" events where he exposes wasteful local spending and pushes conservative priorities.²³
Immigration enforcement sits at the top of that list.
As a member of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, Ingoglia controls how $250 million in state grants get distributed to local agencies.²⁴
That gives him enormous influence over which sheriff’s offices get the resources they need to partner with ICE effectively.
The Northeast Florida funding announcement shows the state is making good on its promise to back up local law enforcement with real money and support.
Tuesday’s ceremony with ceremonial check presentations made clear this isn’t just talk — Florida is putting its money where its mouth is on immigration enforcement.²⁵
What really burns up Democrats is watching Florida succeed at something they insist can’t be done.
Sanctuary cities claimed local law enforcement couldn’t possibly help with immigration enforcement.
Florida just proved them wrong with 327 agreements and counting.
Left-wing groups argued giving local police immigration authority would destroy community trust and lead to racial profiling.
Sheriff Gordon Smith’s comments about protecting citizens "out of love" suggest Florida law enforcement sees things differently.
Open borders activists warned the program would strain local resources and cost taxpayers.
Instead, Florida is getting reimbursed by the federal government while state grants cover additional expenses.
The blueprint is simple enough that Republican governors in Georgia, Texas, and other states are already following Florida’s lead.²⁶
Sign 287(g) agreements with ICE.
Train local officers in immigration enforcement.
Use state funds to cover startup costs.
Let federal reimbursements flow in once operations are running.
Remove criminal illegal aliens from your communities.
Democrats hate it because they can’t compete with results.
When Trump talks about the largest deportation operation in American history, this is what he means — local law enforcement in red states doing the work that sanctuary cities refuse to do.
Florida didn’t wait for comprehensive immigration reform or beg the federal government for help.
DeSantis and Ingoglia just started writing checks to sheriffs willing to enforce the law.
That’s exactly the kind of state-level action that makes the America First agenda a reality instead of just campaign rhetoric.
¹ Anita Padilla, "CFO Ingoglia awards $1.8M to sheriffs for illegal immigration enforcement efforts," Florida Politics, October 21, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Padilla, "CFO Ingoglia awards $1.8M."
⁵ "287(g) Agreements With ICE Threaten Welcoming Communities," American Immigration Council, September 2025.
⁶ Padilla, "CFO Ingoglia awards $1.8M."
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ "ICE awards Florida’s state and local law enforcement with 287(g) funds to defend the homeland," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, September 26, 2025.
¹¹ "Florida governor signs compromise immigration bill: ‘Plane has landed safely,’" Fresh Take Florida via WUFT News, February 13, 2025.
¹² "Florida allocates nearly $300M for immigration enforcement. How the money will be spent," WESH 2 News, February 14, 2025.
¹³ "Florida gets $38m from ICE for immigration crackdown, although ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ bill still looms," Florida Phoenix, September 26, 2025.
¹⁴ "ICE awards Florida’s state and local law enforcement with 287(g) funds," ICE.
¹⁵ "Reviving 287(g) Agreements Under the New Administration: Implementation, Concerns, and Implications," National Immigration Forum, April 28, 2025.
¹⁶ "How Expanded 287(g) Program Turns Local Police Into Deportation Agents," American Civil Liberties Union, September 11, 2025.
¹⁷ "The 287(g) Program: An Overview," American Immigration Council, 2025.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ "Blaise Ingoglia," Wikipedia, accessed October 22, 2025.
²⁰ Ibid.
²¹ "Blaise Ingoglia sworn in as Florida’s CFO," Spectrum News 13, July 21, 2025.
²² "Gov. DeSantis to appoint Blaise Ingoglia as Florida CFO, setting up more potential turmoil with Donald Trump," Florida Politics, July 16, 2025.
²³ "CFO Ingoglia blazes path across Florida with same ‘government gone wild’ message that launched his rise," Orlando Sentinel, October 10, 2025.
²⁴ "DeSantis, Cabinet OK $14 million in state money for immigration enforcement," Florida Phoenix, September 30, 2025.
²⁵ Padilla, "CFO Ingoglia awards $1.8M."
²⁶ "Reviving 287(g) Agreements Under the New Administration," National Immigration Forum.
