Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia speaking about the $1.7 million awarded to local law enforcement agencies to assist with immigration enforcement. Photo curtsey of Florida Department of Financial Services

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer handed out more than $1.7 million to local law enforcement agencies to assist with immigration enforcement. At a press conference Thursday, Blaise Ingoglia said the funding reimburses agencies participating in the federal 287(g) program.

Sheriff’s offices in Polk, Hernando, Sarasota, and Hardee counties — along with the Port Richey Police Department — received a share of the one-point-seven million dollars.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $1,006,985.10
Hernando Sheriff’s County was awarded  $321,112.30
Sarasota County Sheriff’s was awarded  $283,389.68
Hardee County Sheriff’s was awarded $135,560
Port Richey Sheriff’s was awarded $32,850

“That’s why we go out, and we work in partnership, and we get these guys the funding that they need, in order to facilitate this 287g program through these reimbursements, the state of Florida’s ensuring that every law enforcement agency has the resources they ended to enforce our laws and protect its citizens. Today I am proud to be presenting some of those reimbursement to these sheriffs and local law enforcement that are here today,” Ingoglia said.

Ryan Brown is a major with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are public safety officers, we are crime fighters and that’s what we do. And so the 287g program and the WSO program, the WSO program is not anything new in Sarasota County. We have been a part of that since 2018. That’s where we have warrant service officers in our jail, and they can help out with the deportation program. 287g is newer for us,” he said.

Brown was not the only law enforcement official appreciative of the funding. Every officer who spoke talked about their gratitude and how they will continue their work with federal immigration enforcement. 

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the money helps offset operational costs.

“What the state’s done is they’ve given us money to allow us to buy the tools, the infrastructure, the fuel, so it comes into our budget and we offset costs,” Judd said.

The funding is provided through the State Board of Immigration Enforcement for law enforcement agencies that applied for reimbursement. 

Many Floridians have recently protested against federal immigration enforcement tactics and the assistance of local law enforcement. However, during the press conference Ingoglia said he wants more restrictions placed on undocumented migrants in Florida.