A Florida sheriff fights illegal immigration by sharing a bold statement with those in the state illegally ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
“And I leave with this message: ‘Southward and downward.’ Do it yourself. You can deport yourself and avoid a lot of jail time, but it’s time to head south. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Grady was accompanied by Gov. Ron DeSantis and several other local and state officials held the Winter Haven press conference to discuss actions to combat illegal immigration.
Judd said cracking down on illegal immigration would help reduce crime.
FLORIDA’S PROPOSAL WOULD EXCLUDE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN THE US FROM ATTENDING SOME COLLEGES
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
“Florida must set the example for other states and support the President (Trump) in getting rid of these criminals who are victimizing our people,” Judd said.
During the press conference, Judd also shared several specific examples of crimes involving illegal immigrants, including cases of murder, DUI manslaughter and organized theft rings.
DeSantis echoed Judd, saying he was confident the second Trump administration would take swift action against the outgoing Biden administration. immigration policy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to help President-elect Trump tackle illegal immigration. (Getty Images)
“We in Florida have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said. “The mission is very simple: we must end the illegal immigration crisis in these United States of America once and for all.”
Florida has denounced the Biden administration on several occasions, including for its “illegal” catch-and-release policy at the southern border and, most recently, its alleged refusal to help the state purge noncitizens from voter rolls at the 2024 elections.
FLORIDA HUMAN TRAFFICKING STING NABS 157 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 25 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Then-President Trump greets Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida during a campaign rally on October 31, 2018 in Estero, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
DeSantis scheduled a special session to begin the week after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to address illegal immigration, including detention and relocation. The governor has said the state must work to support Trump’s promises to crack down on illegal immigration and ensure that “we don’t have continued incentives for people to come into our state illegally.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump thanked DeSantis for calling a special session and said “hopefully other governors will follow suit!”
Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
