Florida Sheriffs Call for ‘Path to Citizenship’ for Illegal Migrants with Jobs
A group of Florida county sheriffs on a state advisory council are calling on President Trump to ease up on his immigration policy and to create a “path to citizenship” for illegal migrants who are holding down jobs and who are not otherwise engaging in criminal activity.
Despite that the sheriffs have been elected by Republicans and appointed to the State Immigration Enforcement Council by Republican Gov. Ron De Santis and Republicans, the council members are collaborating on a letter to President Trump calling for a more liberal focus on immigration policy.
The call to leniency has already spurred one state official to speak out against the council. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he “does not support the letter,” and added, “If somebody is here illegally in this country, they have broken the law.”
Regardless, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the chair of the Council, recently said those migrants who are here “working hard” need a break.
“To make sure that the top priority is to remove these folks that are violating the law, these people who’ve been through the immigration system, these people who have avoided the immigration system and snuck into the United States, but there are those here that are working hard. They have their kids in college or in school. They’re going to church on Sunday. They’re not violating the law, and … they are living the American dream and are being very productive and … doing good in this country,” Judd said.
“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,” he added, CBS News noted.
Judd went on to complain that federal immigration operatives are deporting people who “are healthy and can work.”
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummel, agreed with Judd and ripped Congress for not stepping in to clarify things. “They need to get off their butts and they need to fix it,” he said.
Still, Judd said he is not proposing a “free pass.”
“We’re going to give you five years, and you’ve got to learn to speak English, you’ve got to pay a fine for coming into the country illegally, a civil fine,” he explained. “And you’ve got to not be on the taxpayer dollar, and you’ve got to work, and you’ve got to put your kids in school, and we already know those people who are doing that.”
At least one Florida county sheriff publicly disagreed with Judd and his like-minded councilmembers.
Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters, who also serves on the council, does not support Sheriff Judd’s letter.
“As Sheriff, I want to reaffirm that our agency has and always will work hand-in-hand with our state and federal partners to uphold the laws and priorities established by our elected leaders,” Waters said, according to WJAX-TV. “I was not on the call referenced and do not share or endorse the comments made by others.”
Ultimately, Sheriff Judd quickly started feeling the heat from a backlash against his soft-on-illegals position.
Only days after news broke of his demands that President Trump soften his immigration policies, Judd had to come out to reiterate his support for the president.
“Any illusion that we’re not supporting the president or the government is absolutely false. We’re providing input. We’re providing feedback,” Judd said defending his letter, WPLG-TV reported.
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