DeSantis Says Florida Will Remove Officials Who Block ICE Cooperation

In a Fox News interview Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that under state law he expects all state and local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, warning that any Florida official who "acts like Jacob Frey" in resisting federal immigration operations "gets removed" from office. DeSantis contrasted Florida’s approach with that of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing them of "sabotaging" Trump administration immigration enforcement by refusing to transfer jailed noncitizens to DHS custody. He echoed unsubstantiated Trump‑era claims about "paid" protesters in Minnesota opposing Operation Metro Surge, while also acknowledging that tactics may need review after the fatal ICE and Border Patrol shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. His remarks come as Republican officials in several states push hard‑line cooperation mandates and threaten sanctions against local leaders who adopt sanctuary‑style limits, deepening the national fight over how far states can go in compelling or punishing cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The comments also signal how DeSantis is positioning himself as an enforcer willing to wield removal powers against local elected officials in future clashes over Trump’s deportation agenda.