PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Border Patrol agents are traveling together in the same cars to enforce immigration laws, according to court documents filed in federal court last week.
This tactic of federal law enforcement agents traveling with state troopers in marked Florida Highway Patrol vehicles allows undocumented migrants to get arrested after routine traffic stops.
As of Tuesday, this procedure hasn't been publicly reported or disclosed.
WATCH BELOW: Troopers, Border Patrol riding together to enforce immigration laws
Richard Hujber, an immigration attorney based in Boynton Beach, is one of five different attorneys who told WPTV reporter Ethan Stein that they had never heard of the practice previously.
"This is new," Hujber told WPTV.
He said he believes this will make it easier to arrest undocumented migrants.
"I mean, one of the issues I would assume is not to have to wait for ICE to come in," Hujber said. "I know I've seen that and have government officials tell me it takes hours and under different administrations, where this is not priority, they would wait and wait, and it's like, what are we going to do with this person?"
He also said he's concerned about the training state troopers received to participate in immigration enforcement proceedings if they are working closely with Border Patrol.
According to federal court records, a state highway patrol trooper pulled over one vehicle for failing to make a full stop before making a right turn at a red light. The Border Patrol agent was then able to question people in the car about their immigration status and arrest at least one man from Guatemala. He now faces a criminal charge called "previously removed alien found in the United States," which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
WPTV found another case where a state patrol trooper pulled over another vehicle at a different time for having a tint on his windshield. The border patrol agent was then able to question people in the car about their immigration status and arrest one man, who said he was from Mexico and entered the country illegally. He also faces the charge of "previously removed alien found in the United States."
A border patrol agent was traveling inside a marked Florida Highway Patrol vehicle for both arrests.
Guillermo Flores Jr., an immigration attorney in Jupiter, said he's noticed a similar pattern where cases involve Border Patrol agents with state troopers during traffic stops. He also said he had one client claim an officer from Homeland Security was driving a patrol car.
"We're hearing everything from either an issue with the license plate on the vehicle and/or bald tires or poor tires," said Flores Jr. "Some of them are being pulled over for a commercial vehicle inspection."
Attorney Stuart Kaplan, who is a former FBI agent, said the collaboration would stop local law enforcement from letting undocumented migrants go freely. He said he applauded the decision because local law enforcement felt powerless in enforcing immigration laws.
"I know firsthand that there was always an undercurrent of frustration with local law enforcement and federal agencies, not associated with ICE or Customs and Border Protection," Kaplan said. "That they knew they had illegal people here, undocumented and perhaps dangerous people, but their hands were tied and they were compelled or forced to cut those people loose, and that just obviously didn't make sense."
The Florida Highway Patrol has reportedly signed an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to begin deputizing troopers, granting them the authority to enforce immigration law once trained. However, it remains unclear how many troopers have received this training, as FHP didn't respond to WPTV’s questions by publication.
However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida and the Department of Homeland Security were partnering to "deliver big results on immigration enforcement and deportations" in a Saturday post on Xwhile promoting an operation that arrested 800 people in Florida.
