FHP Stationed at DMVs as State Authorizes Troopers to Enforce Immigration Law

New Agreement Signed with Feds

Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol will now be stationed at all department of motor vehicles offices in Miami-Dade County, as part of a new agreement signed with the Department of Homeland Security.

Transition to County Management

This change comes from the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, which is now transitioning to manage all county DMVs. Those used to be run by the state as part of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Ensuring Safety

“I spoke with the state and they’re going provide us with highway patrol in every single office because sometimes people want to do bad things, and I’m not going to allow that,” said Dariel Fernandez, the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector.

Fernandez says the presence of troopers is to ensure the safety of their facilities, DMV staff and customers who may get rowdy in the line.

Immigration Implications

But some say there are immigration implications. ICE Miami recently arrested an undocumented immigrant for driving with a fake license, and on the same day, FHP said they are “equipped and hard at work to enforce illegal immigration laws in Florida.”

“After different executive orders from the president of the United States to try and get our gangs from the United States and people that are doing a lot of bad things, that a lot of the residents have a lot of concerns about what happened with immigration, so we are the ones that issue the drivers licenses in Miami-Dade County,” Fernandez said.

Funding Unclear

At this point, it’s unclear who will pay for these newly stationed troopers.

Conclusion

The presence of FHP troopers at DMVs in Miami-Dade County is aimed at ensuring the safety of facilities, staff, and customers. However, some have raised concerns about the potential immigration implications of this new agreement.

FAQs

Q: Who will pay for the newly stationed troopers?
A: At this point, it’s unclear who will pay for these newly stationed troopers.

Q: What is the purpose of the FHP troopers at DMVs?
A: The presence of FHP troopers is to ensure the safety of facilities, DMV staff, and customers who may get rowdy in the line.

Q: Are there immigration implications of this new agreement?
A: Yes, some have raised concerns about the potential immigration implications of this new agreement.