COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — As federal immigration raids continue across the country, the Collier County Sheriff's Office is pushing to expand its authority in dealing with illegal immigration.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk updated county commissioners at the Feb. 11 meeting on the department’s role in immigration enforcement, saying his office has identified 485 people in Collier County they may want to investigate or do further background checks on.
WATCH THE FULL REPORT HERE:
"No matter where you are, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, you want to be in a safe neighborhood, a safe community. You don't want to be threatened," Rambosk said.
Currently, the sheriff’s office does not make immigration arrests. However, under a federal agreement known as 287(g), deputies can notify ICE if someone in their jail is in the country illegally.
"Everyone that gets arrested and is brought into jail for committing a crime against our residents, our neighbors, our businesses, and one another are all asked if they are a resident of the United States," Rambosk said.
With a new administration in office, the sheriff said he hopes to take the program a step further by bringing back the enforcement model of 287(g) that was discontinued in 2012 during the Obama administration.
"In the past, we could look at individuals who either came into this country with a background of criminality. We can do background searches. If we can put together a previous of gang membership, previous felony arrests, illegal entry into the country together as a package - that's what the law enforcement model is all about," he said.
For now, the sheriff’s office says it is following standard procedures, and any expansion of its role depends on changes to state or federal policy.
With the U.S. southern border under a new administration, Rambosk said he is concerned about increased illegal activity along Florida’s Gulf Coast and is advocating for expanded programs from White House Border Czar Tom Homan.
"We are asking and have already asked Mr. Homan to give us the authority to go back into that system," he said.
