DeSantis Warns Florida Officials Against Defying Federal Immigration Law

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is making it clear elected officials in his state who try to mimic the radical sanctuary-style tactics of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will not be tolerated and they will be removed.

In a Tuesday night interview on The Ingraham Angle, DeSantis outlined Florida’s firm commitment to law and order, especially when it comes to cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. The message? If you’re in Florida and you obstruct ICE or DHS, your job is on the line.

“If you act like Jacob Frey in Florida, then you get removed from your position,” DeSantis stated bluntly.

This stance stands in sharp contrast to Democratic strongholds like Minnesota, where liberal leaders like Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Frey have built their reputations on defiance shielding illegal aliens from deportation and refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

DeSantis laid out the difference:

• Florida law mandates cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies.

• Minnesota politicians, on the other hand, refuse to hand over criminal aliens, even when they're already in custody.

• Democrat-led cities actively obstruct ICE operations, turning sanctuary policies into weapons against the very laws they swore to uphold.

"You will literally have a criminal alien sitting in jail in Minnesota for violating their own laws, and they still don't want to cooperate and send that person to DHS so that they can be removed," DeSantis said, calling it “very, very damaging.”

This isn’t just policy it’s about preserving the basic framework of law and order. DeSantis warned that if elected officials can pick and choose which laws to follow based on political ideology, it undermines the entire system voters rely on.

"If you can have a state, because they have a different political orientation, just opt themselves out and indeed sabotage what's being done to bring about the mandate that the voters gave, then what are we even doing here?"

DeSantis also pulled back the curtain on the so-called “grassroots protests” that plagued Minnesota, calling them what they are: well-funded, politically motivated campaigns designed to incite chaos and undermine law enforcement.

"What you see on the streets that's an orchestrated effort," he said. "These are groups that are funded. It's being egged on by politicians like the governor and the mayor."

His remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics, following the deaths of two Americans—Renee Good and Alex Pretti during federal operations. While acknowledging the tragedy, DeSantis refused to throw law enforcement under the bus, instead urging a balanced approach.

“We should insist on high standards...but understand what they’re facing. They’re facing threats.”

Key facts that put the issue in perspective:

• According to ICE data, more than 92,000 criminal aliens were arrested in FY2023, many of them in sanctuary jurisdictions that had refused earlier cooperation.

• A recent study found violent crime rates 26% higher in major sanctuary cities compared to non-sanctuary areas.

• In Florida, over 7,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records were turned over to ICE last year alone, thanks to DeSantis’ pro-enforcement policies.

As the Biden administration continues its disastrous open-border agenda, Republican leaders like DeSantis are stepping up to enforce the law and protect American citizens. His message to Florida’s local officials is simple fall in line, or find another job.

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