WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida law enforcement agencies are rapidly expanding their partnerships with federal immigration authorities, fueling a surge in arrests and encounters across the state — with Palm Beach County now logging more immigration activity than anywhere else in South Florida.
The shift stems from the Trump administration’s revival of the 287(g) Task Force Model, a controversial program that authorizes local police officers to perform certain immigration duties while on patrol. Florida has embraced the program more aggressively than any other state.
FDLE data shows Palm Beach County has recorded more than 750 immigration encounters since August, surpassing both Broward and Miami-Dade counties combined. Nineteen of the county’s 20 police agencies have now signed 287(g) Task Force agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Delray Beach, which quietly joined earlier this month…