Sheriff Grady Judd blasts media reports that he criticizes federal mass deportation efforts: 'Simply not true'

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - After media reports surfaced stating that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and members of the State Immigration Enforcement Council criticized the federal government's mass deportation efforts during a meeting on Monday, Judd held one of his famous press conferences to set the record straight. 

The backstory:

An article from the News Service of Florida stated, "A group of sheriffs on a state immigration enforcement board sharply criticized the federal government’s mass deportation efforts Monday, a stark departure from hardline policies in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has spearheaded collaboration with federal officials to remove all undocumented immigrants.

Some members of the State Immigration Enforcement Council, which is comprised of four sheriffs and four city police chiefs, said immigrants who aren’t criminals should be able to stay in the country, under certain conditions."

"Those are the folks we need in this country that we embrace, because we are a country of immigrants," said Judd, council chair during the meeting. "But we have allowed what I call the criminal troublemaker, to just flood in this country and victimize people. And I think a path for the good folks with a good intention, for the right reason, is reasonable."

Dig deeper:

Judd opened his press conference by putting some of the headlines on his famous cardstock and said, "This is not true."

The sheriff added that many of the reports stated that the meeting was closed, but it was open to the public and reporters were present because they were the ones who wrote the stories.

Judd said he also wanted to dispel a report he saw that stated, "Florida sheriffs rebel against Trump’s, DeSantis’ mass deportation efforts."

"We, in fact, support the mass deportation of illegal aliens," Judd said. "Those that are criminals. Those that have warrants of deportation. Those that are here creating havoc and problems. If you are here illegally and you take that risk to be here illegally then you are going to be deported. Everyone that ICE says deport. We deport and that is important."

Judd added, "I want to dispel a hyperbole that there is some break from what we should be doing or what the President of the United States and the governor has asked. That’s just not true. It is media rhetoric and I want to make it abundantly clear that we in Florida law enforcement wholeheartedly support ICE. We fully cooperate with them and they fully cooperate with us."

As part of the meeting, Judd said the Immigration Enforcement Council looked at paths forward.

"When it comes to immigration, one size doesn’t fit all and that’s why the state immigration enforcement council was brilliantly formed by the legislature and Governor DeSantis," Judd noted. "We’re a think tank. We’re subject matter experts. There are four sheriffs and four chiefs of police and the purpose of us is to provide input, to do research for the immigration enforcement board and to send it to them. It is not to make decisions for them. It is not to direct them, but it is simply to provide information that we see on the ground doing the job every day."

The Immigration Enforcement Council, according to Judd, looked at the infrastructure they put together and how easy it was or difficult it may have been for some agencies to report so that they could provide accurate data to the state immigration enforcement board.

He stressed that their job is to provide feedback.

What they're saying:

Judd added, "What we suggested yesterday is that there needs to be a path forward for those that are in this country. They came here illegally. They violated the federal law, but it is a civil violation. Currently, they have no criminal history. They are not committing crimes. They are employed. They are not on government assistance. They’re not creating problems. Their children are in school. They need to be required to speak English through a program. There needs to be evidence of a positive influence in the community on our society. But, those are people who are adding to the American dream and enjoying the American dream that came here illegally, I might add, but they are doing good and they are not a drag on society, in fact, they are helping society. We need to find a path for them and the reason for that is simple – they are doing what’s right. They are helping the economy. They are helping the community. They are adding to the wonderful society that we have in the United States. But, there are a lot of folks here illegally that are committing crimes. They are violating the law. That are being incorrigible. That are dangerous. That are violent. That don’t care what the laws are. Listen to me folks, there are two lifetimes worth of work for law enforcement to deal with them and for the law enforcement agencies that aren’t dealing with them- get on board and get with it. That’s important. But, at the same time that we are literally overrun with arresting those who are violating the law. That are here with illegal. That are here with warrants of deportation because they’ve been ordered out of the country because they have not done what’s appropriate, that’s a full-time job for all of us."

"One of the quotes was, ‘One of Governor DeSantis’ favorite sheriffs, Grady Judd, who has split from his view.’ That is not true. I want to tell you clearly and unequivocally from the time Governor DeSantis attacked the COVID issue, which was very difficult to the illegal immigration issue, crime is at an all-time low and Florida has never been as safe as it…ever as safe as it is right now despite an influx of people moving here. It is the safe state of Florida as well as the free state of Florida. Governor DeSantis in my estimation is the best governor we’ve had and he is my friend, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to provide him and the immigration board and my colleagues the best information that we are seeing at eye level."

By the numbers:

Judd said that 76% of the immigration detainers the Polk County Sheriff’s Office placed were due to accompanying criminal charges.

24% were collateral, which means they hung out with someone who was committing a crime and they were in the country illegally.

"If you are in the country illegally, you accept the inherent risk that goes with that," Judd stated.

Judd said his agency isn’t doing anything different during this presidential administration.

He added that his deputies run warrant checks on everyone they come across and the difference is that before the second Trump administration, the 1.5 million illegal warrants for deportation were not in the Crime Information Center, so we deputies engaged them they had no way of knowing there was a federal ICE warrant for them. ICE now puts those warrants in the system.

Right now, according to Judd, there are about 1.5 warrants for deportation. He added that there are between 10 and 18 million illegal immigrants in the United States.