At least three Florida public university campus police departments are attempting to reach an agreement with the federal government in order to deputize their officers to enforce immigration laws.
As part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal officials have canceled international students’ visas across the United States in recent weeks for offenses ranging from speeding tickets to domestic terrorist suspicions.
Schools in Florida are now attempting to adopt a new strategy to increase the capabilities and reach of immigration officers on college campuses.
The expansion is consistent with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s policies that support the Trump Administration’s large deportation program, such as mandating that state and local agencies support federal immigration enforcement with their “best efforts.”
According to spokespeople from the universities, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, the University of Florida in Gainesville, and the University of South Florida in Tampa are currently looking to deputize their campus police expressly for immigration enforcement.
According to FAU spokesperson Joshua Glanzer, “all state schools” are expected to figure out how to increase immigration enforcement authorities in accordance with DeSantis’ orders.
“We are simply following guidance from the Governor’s Feb. 19 directive to state law enforcement agencies, of which FAUPD and other state university police departments are included,” Glanzer stated.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight” is the new 287(g) program that ICE has launched, according to its website.
The 287(g) program allows agencies to make agreements with the federal government. Only eleven states had no agreement in place or being considered as of April 3.
As of yet, no universities have joined the 287(g) program.
The program offers three different enforcement models. The task force approach, which is being pursued by the University of Florida, would provide participating cops the authority to question “any alien or person believed to be an alien” over their right to be in the nation.
In certain situations, it would also allow them to make arrests without a warrant.
The warrant service officer program and the jail enforcement model are the other two programs that enable cooperating agencies to expedite legal processes for suspected illegal immigrants.
According to the website, the prison enforcement approach enables police to “identify and process removable aliens,” particularly those who are in custody on criminal accusations, whether they are pending or proven.
According to the website, participating officers can “execute administrative warrants” on detained immigrants as part of the warrant service officer program.
Source: NY Post
