Southeast
Florida sheriff says ICE partnership only the beginning in illegal migrant crackdown
A Florida sheriff said leveraging relationships with federal immigration enforcement officials is the “tip of the spear” to fight criminal migrants.
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick told Fox News Digital his department has a duty to partner with federal officials.
St. Johns County is part of the 287(g) program that allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Protection (ICE) to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
“Deputy sheriffs have been working on Interstate 95 with our Customs and Border Patrol, with ICE and with ERO,” he said. “We’ve been working with all of our federal partners to go ahead and enforce not just immigration, but also enforce human trafficking, sex trafficking, guns, narcotics and every illegal activity that’s going on out there.”
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St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick shared how his department is working with federal immigration authorities. (Florida Sheriff’s Association)
While the prison in the county, home to the oldest city in the U.S., is not a federal holding site, sheriff’s deputies work closely with federal officials to notify them of illegal migrants.
Hardwick explained that if deputies pull over someone for a traffic violation, that person cannot provide valid proof of identification and police find they are not legally in the country, they’ll book them.
“Our deputy sheriffs will take you to the St. Johns County Jail for driving with no valid driver’s license,” he said. “And we’ll roll your fingerprints into the systems. We’ll also run it through a system called IAQ [Immigration Alien Query]. And it will show if you have a civil deportation letter or maybe a warrant for your arrest.
“We run IAQ almost daily in St. Johns County Jail,” he said. “And we have detainers almost daily.”
St. Augustine, Fla. (iStock)
Hardwick shared that, in Florida, officials are going to “take the tip of the spear and go to a different level.”
“And that means we’re going to actually hold all the sheriffs accountable and let them play in the sandbox and make sure we’re working with our federal partners to enforce these deportations, holds and our lists” he said.
He shared that on Fridays at 2 p.m., they meet with federal, state and local partners to discuss the worst of the worst, criminal aliens wanted in Florida or in the immediate area.
“And a simple warning, that in the state of Florida, if you are wanted — whether you’re an illegal alien or you’re a citizen of the United States — we are going to hunt you down to find you and hold you accountable for your actions,’ he said.
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Hardwick noted it can be difficult to pinpoint because there are organizations that produce fake Social Security numbers or fake driver’s licenses that look legitimate.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a meeting in Chicago Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Part of the county’s multipronged approach is using technology to notify law enforcement of who is arriving in its jurisdiction.
“We have really been working Interstate 95 hard because we know there’s a lot of interdiction out there that is being overlooked. We have a brand-new tool and technique here in Saint Johns County. We just fired up just recently,” he said. “We have license plate readers on our north and south border and, as you enter, your car tags are run.
“As of yesterday, we’re averaging between 17 and 22 hits, meaning those could be stolen cars, wanted persons or deportation orders where someone’s wanted on the criminal alien list. So, I think we’re just doing things just a little bit different here in St. Johns County and leading from the front, leading by example.”
President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Referencing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ newly signed legislation that passed sweeping immigration laws in Florida, Hardwick said his office is waiting for additional guidance on immigration enforcement.
“We only have 1,500 beds in the state of Florida for deportation,” he said. “And Florida has over 23 million people living here. We just have to track the ones that have a warrant for their arrest, and we need to get them out of our country.”
He noted that President Donald Trump has been “crystal clear that immigration has been No. 1 on his list.”
“Let’s start preparing for if that happens and what it will look like,” he said.
“I think it’s important that we just do something a little bit different, and we don’t come in this job and sit as elected officials and do the status quo,” he added. “You have got to think outside the box.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, ICE and Gov. DeSantis’ office for comment.
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Southeast
Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work
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FIRST ON FOX: An illegal immigrant who reported to a U.S. Border Patrol site in Florida to perform some Information technology contractual work was arrested when authorities were made aware of his citizenship status, officials said.
Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan citizen, reported to a USBP center in Dania Beach, Florida, Jan. 6 to do some IT work when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials began vetting him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital.
During its investigation, it was revealed Camacho was in violation of U.S. immigration laws, authorities said.
Angel Camacho reported to a Florida U.S. Border Patrol center to perform contractual work when he was arrested, a Department of Homeland Security official said. (Getty Images )
“CBP vets all external visitors before allowing them to enter secure facilities to ensure safety and operational integrity,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“During the vetting process, CBP uncovered this individual was a tourist visa overstay in the country for over five years.”
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This photo shows a U.S. Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 15, 2019. (Suzanne CordeiroAFP via Getty Images)
Camacho was arrested and transferred to ICE custody, Bis said.
His criminal history includes theft and resisting a Florida Highway Patrol officer, officials said. Federal authorities have nabbed several illegal immigrants in the process of trying to obtain employment in law enforcement and education.
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One Sierra Leone citizen was recently arrested as he was training to become a Pennsylvania corrections officer.
Another illegal immigrant, Ian Roberts, served as the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest district, Des Moines Public Schools, before he was arrested by ICE.
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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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