PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Just four days into his second term as president, Donald Trump appears to be moving quickly to crack down on illegal immigration. Plans are already being discussed on how law enforcement in the state is going to handle his deportation crackdown.
Sheriffs, including those in our area, met this week with Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor explained what he expects moving forward and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the main targets are those with a criminal background.
Bradshaw tells WPTV how Palm Beach County is handling deportation crackdown
"He wanted to make sure that we knew that all of the governmental agencies in the state are going to cooperate," Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw was one of 67 sheriffs in Florida who got on the phone with DeSantis on Thursday. Bradshaw said, there are no plans to start deporting all undocumented migrants, they are going after specific people.
"It's targeted at the bad guys, convicted murderers, rapists, child molesters," he said. "It's going after those people."
Some of whom, Bradshaw revealed, are currently sitting in the county jail.
"We've got five in there right now," he said.
Gov. DeSantis: 'We have to get this done'
One of the five, includes Johnathan Morales from Mexico. He was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting a young girl from the time she was eight until she was twelve in West Palm Beach.
"He's one of them that was deported and it was able to sneak back in," he said.
Bradshaw said he agrees with the deportation plan, but it seems even those agencies that are hesitant will also have to comply with the governor's directives.
"He will use the resources of his office to make sure that everybody complies," he said. "It was pretty simple."
