Sheriff encourages illegal aliens to self-deport before Trump’s inauguration.
A Florida sheriff is fighting illegal immigration with a bold statement to those in the state illegally before President-elect Trump’s nomination.
“And I’m leaving South and Down with this message. Do it yourself. You can drive yourself away and avoid a lot of jail time, but it’s time to go South and Down,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press conference Wednesday.
Grady joined Gov. Ron DeSantis and several other local and state officials to discuss measures to combat illegal immigration during a press conference in Winter Haven.
Judd said a crackdown on illegal immigration would help reduce crime.
The Florida proposal would bar illegal immigrants in the U.S. from enrolling in some colleges
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
“Florida needs to be an example to other states and support the president[Trump]and get rid of these criminals who are abusing our people,” Judd said.
During the press conference, Judd shared several examples of crimes involving illegal immigrants, including homicide cases, DUI homicides and organized theft rings.
DeSantis echoed Judd and said he’s confident a second Trump administration will act quickly on the immigration policies of the incumbent Biden administration.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pledged to help President-elect Trump crack down on illegal immigration. (Getty Images)
“We in Florida have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said. “The mission is very simple: We must end the illegal immigration crisis in this United States of America once and for all.”
Florida has sued the Biden administration on multiple occasions, including its “illegal” catch-and-release policies at the southern border and its recent refusal to help the state purge its citizens from voter rolls in the 2024 election.
157 people killed in Florida, including 25 illegal immigrants.
The then President Trump Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis salutes during a campaign rally on October 31, 2018 in Estero, Florida. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
DeSantis called for a special session to begin the week of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration to address funding for illegal immigration, including detention and relocation. The governor said he would support Trump’s pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and “we have no immediate incentive for people to enter our state illegally.”
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In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump thanked DeSantis for calling the special session, saying, “We hope other governors will follow!”
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Stephen Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com.