Broward County sheriff doesn’t want to focus on immigration crackdown. Uthmeier says he must.

by Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
June 9, 2025

Note: This story has been updated to include comment from Tony’s letter to Uthmeier.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened Broward County’s sheriff with a lawsuit and removal from office for saying he won’t go after undocumented immigrants who haven’t committed crimes.

The letter Uthmeier sent on Monday came almost a week after Sheriff Gregory Tony told county commissioners that dedicating more manpower to federal immigration enforcement efforts was not a priority for his agency serving 12 cities and towns in the South Florida county.

“I would hope your statements were mere political posturing, but if not, your expressed positions would constitute a failure of your statutory obligation to utilize ‘best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law,’” Uthmeier wrote, accusing Tony of intending to defy a state statute, in the letter he posted on X.

The county participates in two agreements with the federal government under the 287(g) program,which authorizes state and local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of the agreements focuses on screening people already in jail, and the other task force model allows for street-level enforcement.

However, Tony said the county has devoted only two people to participate in those agreements, prompting Uthmeier’s condemnation and call for Tony to promise to fully cooperate with ICE operations.

“When it comes to immigration, I don’t care what country you’re from. If you commit a crime in this country or commit a crime in this county, I’m coming for you,” Tony responded to a question about county funds going toward arresting immigrants.

“But what I refuse to do is take this notion that we need to be knocking on doors, or arresting children, or going into daycare centers or restaurants and taking and snatching people off the streets who have been paying taxes and contributing to this society in some positive form.”

Responding to Uthmeier’s letter, the sheriff listed out his previous collaboration with ICE and appearance in a press conference with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to announce the arrest of MS13 gang members.

“It is BSO’s priority to address criminal activity within our community, including crimes committed by unauthorized aliens, and to work with our federal partners in this endeavor,” Tony wrote to Uthmeier Monday afternoon.

Florida has the highest number of ICE task force model agreements in the country, with Gov. Ron DeSantis touting the fact that all 67 sheriffs had signed on to cooperate with immigration enforcement operations.

Fort Myers OKs agreement with ICE after removal threat by state attorney general

Since ascending in February from DeSantis’ chief of staff to the state’s chief legal officer, Uthmeier has sent similar threatening letters to local leaders, such as Fort Myers commissioners and Orlando’s mayor, who stray from the governor’s portrayal of the state as leading the effort to deliver on President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations.

Meanwhile, a federal judge is considering holding Uthmeier in contempt after he called unlawful and illegitimate the judge’s order temporarily blocking a new state immigration law. The attorneys defending Uthemeier claimed he lacks authority over sheriffs and chiefs of police.

This story has been updated to include Tony’s response to Uthmeier. 

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