Okaloosa County attorney Larry Keefe is the executive director of Florida’s new State Board of Immigration Enforcement, created during the Florida Legislature’s special session last week.
- During Trump’s first administration, Keefe served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. In 2021, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him as the public safety “czar,” where Keefe assembled the controversial migrant flight from the Texas border to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
The appointment occurred during a Florida Cabinet meeting at Northwest Florida State College, which CFO Jimmy Patronis explained, in an exclusive interview with Inweekly, “This was technically an emergency meeting. I told the governor, ‘Let’s go ahead and get the ball rolling.’ So that’s exactly what we did today, and we actually piled a lot on.”
The State Board of Immigration Enforcement, comprising DeSantis and Cabinet members CFO Patronis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, was established through recent legislation to coordinate immigration enforcement and distribute $250 million in law enforcement grants. A key focus will be implementing the 287(g) certification program.
- Established by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, the 287(g) program authorizes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.
GUANTANAMO BAY?
Keefe, nominated by Attorney General Uthmeier, promised the board that he would be “relentless” in fulfilling his responsibilities under the new legislation. The position grants him significant discretionary power, which Patronis explained was necessary for implementation: “That discretion of empowerment goes to the new executive director. There’s some budget where those needs are to get maybe the necessary training in place or any type of other needs need to be addressed that arise.”
DeSantis called Keefe “a great choice” to bring about agreements between the federal government and local law enforcement agencies that he said are “absolutely essential” to immigration enforcement efforts.
“There’s a lot of moving parts to this issue right now,” DeSantis said. “Last time, it was Martha’s Vineyard—this time, maybe Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I don’t know how it’s going to shake out. I just know that we’re going to be there; we’re going to be on the vanguard of that.”
In his Inweekly interview, Patronis acknowledged the immigration law passed last week may need future adjustments. “I think anytime that the legislature crafts an idea, it’s got room for improvement,” he said, drawing from his legislative experience. “I think the legislation we’ve got is about as good as it gets, but if there are needs to be addressed, the regular session’s just around the corner.”
STATE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT COUNCIL
Senate Bill 2C also created the State Immigration Enforcement Council, which assists the State Board of Immigration Enforcement by providing insight into enforcing federal immigration law.
The Council’s responsibilities include:
- Advising the Board on the efforts of local law enforcement agencies.
- Requesting guidance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for training opportunities and strategies to further federal 287(g) program participation.
- Provide recommendations on financial resources necessary to aid local law enforcement agencies.
- Provide recommendations to enhance information sharing.
- Provide recommendations on strategies to increase the number of available detention beds for use by ICE.
The Council is comprised of eight members, including four police chiefs appointed by the Governor, Commission of Agriculture, Chief Financial Officer and Attorney General and four sheriffs, with the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House each appointing two sheriffs.
FOUR SHERIFFS
On Monday, Senate President Ben Albritton appointed Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced the appointment of Duval County Sheriff T.K. Waters and Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell to the State Immigration Enforcement Council.
- “Sheriff Waters and Sheriff Prummell are dedicated law enforcement leaders who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to public safety,” said Speaker Perez. “Their extensive experience and leadership will be invaluable as Florida continues to take strong, decisive action to enforce immigration laws and protect our citizens.”
Sheriff Waters has served for over 30 years in law enforcement and has held key investigative and leadership roles before being elected Sheriff in 2022. He has been instrumental in community-based crime reduction, focusing on violent criminals and gangs for prosecution while building trust through robust community outreach and engagement.
Sheriff Prummell, a 29-year veteran in law enforcement, was first elected Charlotte County Sheriff in 2012 and currently serves as President of the Florida Sheriffs Association. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, he emphasizes intelligence-led policing and his experience dealing with public safety challenges makes him a strong asset to the council.
- “Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that strong law enforcement involvement can have on public safety,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell. “I’m honored to join the State Immigration Enforcement Council to help ensure that Florida’s immigration laws are enforced, rule of law is upheld, and communities are protected.”