Florida Immigration Debate: Judd vs. Uthmeier in 2026

Florida’s immigration enforcement debate sharpened this week after Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd publicly called for a course correction on deportation policies, drawing a firm pushback from Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Judd, one of the state’s most prominent law enforcement figures, plans to write a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and House Speaker Mike Johnson requesting clearer federal guidance on immigration enforcement priorities. The move signals growing unease among Florida sheriffs who have spent more than a year aggressively policing undocumented residents and now want more specific direction from Washington.

“Those people who are adding to the American dream, enjoying the American dream, that came here illegally but they’re doing good, and they’re not a drag on society. In fact, they’re helping society. We need to find a path for them,” Judd said, doubling down on his criticism of current deportation practices.

Uthmeier was not interested in softening his position. Speaking at a news conference in Orlando, the attorney general made clear that Florida’s enforcement posture will not shift regardless of internal disagreements among Republican law enforcement officials on the State Immigration Enforcement Council.

“What I’ll say is in Florida, we’re going to keep enforcing the law. That is our job, as law enforcement, to enforce the law that’s on the books. If people are here illegally, then they are breaking the law, and we are going to enforce it,” Uthmeier said.

Uthmeier also took a swipe at the idea that temporary legal status provides any real public safety guarantee. “Even if people have been welcomed here on some temporary status, we’ve seen it still jeopardize public safety,” he said.

The attorney general declined to support Judd’s proposed letter to federal leadership, a notable split given that Uthmeier himself praised Judd in the same breath. “I know our Sheriffs, there’s probably no better example of enforcing the law in the whole country than Grady Judd and some of the other Sheriffs,” he said.

That paradox cuts to the heart of the current tension. Republican law enforcement officials in Florida generally built their careers on tough-on-crime messaging, and many embraced the crackdown on undocumented immigration as consistent with that brand. But after more than a year of sweeping enforcement, some are now grappling with what it looks like on the ground in their own counties, where long-term residents with deep community ties are being swept up alongside those with criminal records.

What Judd is asking for is not a halt to enforcement. He is asking for clarity. There is a difference, and it matters. When federal priorities are ambiguous, local law enforcement agencies bear the political and operational costs of making difficult decisions without a clear framework. That burden falls hardest on sheriffs who are elected by the same communities they are policing.

From a South Florida perspective, the stakes in this debate are intensely local. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties have large populations of immigrants, many of whom arrived from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua under a patchwork of temporary protections, humanitarian parole programs, or older legal pathways that federal authorities have since moved to curtail or unwind. Spanish-language media in the region has tracked the anxiety in those communities with a depth that English-only outlets have frequently missed.

Uthmeier’s refusal to back Judd signals that the state’s top law enforcement officer sees any hint of flexibility as a political liability. But the letter Judd plans to send suggests that at least some Florida sheriffs believe the current trajectory is producing confusion, not results.

The tension between Judd and Uthmeier also arrives as the Legislature navigates a budget session, with separate debates underway over Everglades funding, rideshare insurance regulations, and the rising cost of everyday life for Florida families. Immigration enforcement is one piece of a much larger governing picture, and the cracks forming inside the Republican coalition on this issue are worth watching as the political calendar moves toward midterm season.