- Florida’s State Board of Immigration approved over $4.1 million in reimbursements to 15 local law enforcement agencies for immigration enforcement.
- Also, Larry Keefe, known for his role in arranging migrant flights, has been replaced as the State Immigration Enforcement Council’s executive director.
- Anthony Coker, Florida’s first U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement liaison, will succeed Keefe.
The state of Florida has suddenly replaced the head of its State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
At an Oct. 28 meeting, the board said goodbye to Larry Keefe, who held its executive director position since February of this year, a total of eight months. Keefe’s successor will be Anthony Coker, who was the Florida’s first U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement liaison.
“Larry has done a number of things in our administration over the years, and he has performed at a very high level with honor and integrity,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis, a member of the board, which met by phone.
Keefe used to be north Florida’s top federal prosecutor and the state’s appointed public safety czar, but is most known for being heavily involved in the 2022 publicity stunt of arranging flights of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to blue states.
Keefe, who has been the subject of lawsuits and investigations that have stemmed from the migrant flights, said in February that the executive director position was the “perfect thing for me.” He did not speak during the board’s meeting on Oct. 28, and the meeting lasted less than five minutes.
Law enforcement gets more money for immigration enforcement
In other business, the board agreed to give 15 local police departments and sheriff’s offices $4,171,896.91 as another batch of reimbursements for their immigration enforcement efforts.
The board – comprised of DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson – also awarded sheriff’s offices in Wakulla and Santa Rosa counties more money for detention beds and equipment.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the most money, with $998,602. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office comes in second, with $991,279, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office comes in third with $499,523.
Approximately half of St. Lucie’s requests are for enforcement equipment and items for the jail. In addition to the common request of Rapid ID devices and license plate reader cameras, the sheriff’s office is also asking for long-range infrared light kits, a $145,000 radio-frequency identification system for the jail to track inmates, DNA swab kits and approximately 1,873 different color inmate uniforms for undocumented immigrants.
“These uniforms will help to maintain security by making unauthorized alien inmates easily identifiable, distinguishing them from staff, visitors, and regular inmates at the facility.” the request says. “In addition, these highly identifiable uniforms will be a valuable asset during transport activities to help prevent escape attempts.”
All the requests were preliminarily OK’d by Keefe between Oct. 10 and Oct. 24.
The state will repay law enforcement with the $250 million it set aside during a special session earlier this year to refund any expenses relating to assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This includes bonuses and overtime for officers who participate in ICE operations.
The federal government also has awarded Florida $38 million for the state’s immigration efforts, with $10 million of that going to local law enforcement. That money does not overlap with the state’s reimbursement awards.
Breakdown of reimbursements by county
- Taylor County Sheriff’s Office – $991,279: $309,771.50 for 287(g) training; $623,055 for detention beds; $42,305 for transportation; and $16,147 for overtime for law enforcement and corrections officers
- Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety – $53,750.82: $9,688.50 will go to bonuses; $31,350 for six Rapid ID devices; $12,712.32 in overtime for nine officers
- St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office – $998,602.39: $64,676 for 287(g) training; $20,100 for detention beds; $202,994.39 for mileage and overtime for officers during transport; $158,245.50 in bonuses for 137 law enforcement and corrections officers; $462,028 for license plate reader cameras, two long-range infrared light kits, 10 Rapid ID devices, a radio-frequency identification system for the jail to track inmates, 120 DNA mouth swab kits, and a “Web-based software service” to analyze data from multiple sources; $14,983 to purchase 1,873 different color inmate uniforms for unauthorized alien inmates; and $75,575.50 in overtime
- City of Tampa Police Department – $430,776.37: $118,200.06 for 287(g) training; $19,377 for law enforcement bonuses; $293,199.31 for overtime
- City of Daytona Beach Police Department – $133,721.30: $34,773 for 287(g) training; $87,357.30 for ballistic protection; $11,591 for overtime
- Leon County Sheriff’s Office – $499,523: $186,865 for 287(g) training; $23,400 for detention beds for ICE; $118,095 to pay officers for transportation and mileage reimbursement; $66,743 for bonuses; $104,420 for new software and to hire an IT person to manage the software
- City of Cocoa Beach Police Department – $99,515.50: $14,425.32 for transportation-related costs; $10,765 in bonuses; $65,000 for a portable narcotics spectrometer and four Rapid ID devices; and $9,325.18 in overtime
- City of St. Cloud Police Department – $38,000: For 20 Rapid ID devices
- Suwanee County Sheriff’s Office – $212,376.18: $50,000 for detention beds; $32,418.18 for transportation; $43.060 for bonuses; $86,898 for Rapid ID devices, 30 mats and pillows, tactical vests and portable radios
- City of Altamonte Springs – $36,470.13: $12,448.73 for 287(g) training; $3,215.40 for transportation; $4,306 in bonuses; $16,500 for Rapid ID devices
- Brevard County Sheriff’s Office – $490,444.44: $68,025 for ICE detention beds; $32,719.44 for transportation-related travel and overtime; $389,700 for Rapid ID devices, laptop power adaptors and long range license plate readers
- Indialantic Police Department – $15,102.50: $9,688.50 for law enforcement bonuses; $5,414 for laptops and software
- Hardee County Sheriff’s Office – $135,560: $7,500 for detention beds; $43,059 for bonuses; $85,000 for license plate readers, Rapid ID devices and translation software
- West Melbourne Police Department – $7,931.80: For Rapid ID devices
- City of New Smyrna Beach Police Department – $28,843.48: $1,570.88 for transportation; $6,819.10 for travel and lodging costs related to 287(g) task force activities; $20,453.50 in bonuses.
Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.
