WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A state-run tip line created to report police departments that fail to enforce Florida’s immigration laws is drawing a different kind of complaint.
Records reviewed by the CBS12 News I-Team suggest some submissions focus not on law enforcement agencies, but on neighbors, loud parties and suspicions about immigrants living in local communities.
A state-run tip line created to report police departments that fail to enforce Florida’s immigration laws is drawing a different kind of complaint. Records reviewed by the CBS12 News I-Team suggest some submissions focus not on law enforcement agencies, but on neighbors, loud parties and suspicions about immigrants living in local communities. (WPEC / FDLE)
The tip line — known as the Law Enforcement Accountability Dashboard, or LEAD — was launched by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in 2025. The online portal allows members of the public and law enforcement employees to report agencies they believe are not complying with Florida’s immigration enforcement laws.
State officials said the system was designed to provide a “direct channel” for reporting agencies that fail to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement policies.
But documents obtained by another investigative newsroom, Suncoast Searchlight, and reviewed by CBS12 News reveal a wide range of complaints — some targeting police departments, but others focused on neighbors and community disputes.
Complaints about neighbors
The records include submissions from across Florida — including several tied to Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
Some resemble neighborhood complaints rather than allegations that law enforcement agencies are failing to follow immigration laws.
A state-run tip line created to report police departments that fail to enforce Florida’s immigration laws is drawing a different kind of complaint. Records reviewed by the CBS12 News I-Team suggest some submissions focus not on law enforcement agencies, but on neighbors, loud parties and suspicions about immigrants living in local communities. (WPEC / FDLE)
One submission from Lake Worth Beach describes loud gatherings at a home and speculates about the immigration status of those attending. The complaint states:
These Haitian residents throw extremely loud parties two to three nights per week Cars park on the sidewalk blocking foot traffic.
The complaint continues:
The primary resident may be here legally, but we feel their party goers may not be.
Another submission references multiple Palm Beach County communities and accuses local leaders of failing to take action against undocumented immigrants.
“Illegal immigrants have obtained illegal paperwork to buy homes, rent rooms to other illegal immigrants within HOAs,” the complaint states, referencing areas including Lake Worth Beach, Palm Springs, Greenacres and Belle Glade.
Other submissions include allegations about suspected immigration violations, concerns about school transportation employees and claims of immigration fraud.
Not every complaint focuses on neighbors. Some do accuse law enforcement agencies of failing to enforce immigration laws — the type of report the portal was designed to collect.
Local sheriff responds
One complaint references Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, alleging undocumented immigrants are allowed to “walk freely.”
Bradshaw told CBS12 News he is not aware of any instance where FDLE contacted his office about a complaint submitted through the portal.
“No, not that I know of,” Bradshaw said when asked whether FDLE had ever reached out regarding a tip tied to Palm Beach County.
Bradshaw said his agency does not conduct immigration sweeps but cooperates with federal authorities when immigration issues arise during routine law enforcement duties.
“Number one, I don’t do immigration sweeps with ICE. I’m not going to neighborhoods, I’m not knocking on doors,” Bradshaw said.
He said deputies will take action if immigration holds are discovered during normal police work.
“If we find out that they’re wanted and there’s a hold with ICE, we’ll take them into custody,” Bradshaw said. “But it’s not that we went looking for them.”
Concerns about how the portal may be used
Immigration attorney Richard Hujber said some of the complaints raise questions about how tip lines like this could be used.
“It’s almost mind boggling to me that based on a foreign language being spoken, that this would be the basis for a phone call to be made,” Hujber said.
Hujber said the political climate surrounding immigration enforcement can sometimes motivate people to report others in their community.
“When everyone is told that everyone here illegally is a criminal, it gets people motivated to report on people too,” he said.
He added that the possibility of being reported could create fear among immigrants and their families.
“You get this feeling that people will start utilizing this tip line for various reasons and motives that can frankly scare the hell out of people,” Hujber said.
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Records requests still unanswered
While the early submissions provide some insight into how the portal is being used, many questions remain unanswered.
The CBS12 News I-Team has filed multiple public records requests with FDLE seeking documents that show how many complaints have been submitted, how the tips are reviewed and how many investigations have resulted from those reports.
So far, FDLE has not released the requested records or responded to those questions.
Under Florida’s public records laws, state agencies must either provide the requested records or explain why they are exempt from disclosure.
Until those documents are released, it remains unclear how often the tip line is used — or what happens after someone submits a complaint.
The CBS12 News I-Team will continue seeking those records.