ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been just over one month since President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term in office, signing a slew of executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.
WPTV is looking into the local impact of those orders on local law enforcement.
In St. Lucie County, Sheriff Richard Del Toro says his agency has been reshaping and restructuring to enforce immigration laws more aggressively.
“What you don’t enforce, you allow," Del Toro said. "So, we’re enforcing it now, and I think it’s going to make a big difference moving forward."
WATCH: What St. Lucie County Sheriff Del Toro says the county is doing to crack down on illegal immigration
Under federal program 287(g), local law enforcement officers can take on some of the duties of Homeland Security.
A majority of Florida sheriffs have applied for and been accepted into the program to begin training. The program will allow corrections deputies to place ICE detainers on inmates. A warrant service officer program under 287(g) allows deputies to be trained to serve and execute federal warrants on illegal migrants in their jail.
Currently, Del Toro says there are nearly 70 inmates with ICE holds.
“So, we’ve been working well with ICE, but this is now going to give us the ability to do those types of investigations as well,” Del Toro said.
Del Toro also created a new special investigations division within the agency. It includes six deputies who focus on homeland security investigations.
Also under the 287(g) program, marine deputies could be certified to enforce immigration laws farther offshore. Currently, deputies are limited to the 3-mile state jurisdiction. Once they are trained under the federal program, they could extend their jurisdiction into federal waters.
“So, we’re ready to go. We were not compliant before with the 287(g) program or the warrant service program," Del Toro said. "Those were held up by the Biden administration previously."
Deputy Frerick Lablond has been serving in the marine unit for three years.
“Lately, we've been going out and patrolling the coastline quite a bit,” Lablond said.
“More than you used to?” WPTV asked.
“Yes," Lablond responded.
Lablond and two other marine deputies are the eyes and ears for protecting about 21 miles of coastline in St. Lucie County.
WPTV asked if he’s noticed any changes over the last month under stricter enforcement orders.
“The job hasn’t changed," Lablond said. "Do I feel like we’ll get more support? I’m pretty confident we will."
Governor Ron DeSantis also allocated nearly $300 million to support immigration enforcement efforts. Del Toro said he could request some of that funding to boost his aviation and marine units.
Lablond says it’s the uncertainty of who might be coming ashore that makes his job important.
“These could be criminals coming over,” Lablond said. “We don’t know what their intentions are. Illegal immigration, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling. We don’t know what they’re going to bring with any of that stuff.”
In the last month, law enforcement in St. Lucie County hasn’t seen any attempted migrant landings. Lablond said the last attempt was in February of 2024, when a yacht carrying migrants from Haiti traveled through the Fort Pierce inlet.
“I think the best is yet to come, results-wise,” Del Toro said.
“I hope they get the message and stop their attempts at coming over illegally and go through the right process,” Lablond said.
