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Hernando County sheriff briefs commissioners on immigration enforcement, ICE detainers and daily transports to Tampa
Summary
Hernando County law enforcement told the commission that ICE detainers and field operations are resulting in frequent transports from county jails to federal offices in Tampa, and that some agencies now receive reimbursement for operations. The sheriff said county deputies cross-sworn with ICE carry out daily transports for the region.
The Hernando County sheriff told commissioners Sept. 23 that local enforcement is regularly working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on detainers and transports.
At the board meeting the sheriff said recent incidents, including a stabbing along I-75, involved people suspected of being in the country without authorization. He said only ICE has immigration jurisdiction and that Hernando County deputies who are cross-sworn with ICE are used to detain or transport individuals to ICE offices in Tampa.
"Every day, we take one of our detention deputies that is cross-sworn with ICE ... and transport those individuals that are being detained either from Citrus, Hernando, or Pasco down to the ICE office in Tampa," the sheriff said during his briefing. He added that, as of the meeting, ICE had issued warrants or detainers for several people and that three detainees were being transported to the Hernando County Jail.
The sheriff told the board ICE had recently provided lists of individuals they believed might be in the country without authorization. He also said several agencies statewide now have agreements with ICE to hold persons who may not face state criminal charges but are the subject of federal immigration actions.
The sheriff said ICE had signaled that reimbursements for some operational costs could be forthcoming and that a handful of Florida law enforcement agencies had already received such funds. He cautioned that reimbursements are often flat-fee and tied to staffing and vehicle use, and added that any money that might be reimbursed would not necessarily be available for county spending beyond current-year constraints.
The sheriff concluded by answering commissioner questions about where detainees are transported (ICE office in Tampa) and the daily logistics of ICE pick-ups and regional coordination.
Why it matters: County-level responses to immigration enforcement involve both criminal and civil legal distinctions and require careful coordination with federal authorities. The sheriff said cross-sworn deputies help mitigate county liability while enabling the county to comply with federal detention requests.
