Florida
A high-level overview of immigration enforcement activity, school protection policies, and resources for families and educators in Florida.
Overview
State context
Florida has one of the most hostile state-level environments for immigrant school protections. SB 168 (2019) prohibits local governments and agencies from adopting sanctuary policies. The state has significantly increased immigration enforcement cooperation under recent administrations, including agreements to use state law enforcement in immigration operations. ICE activity is among the highest in the nation.
ICE activity
Florida has among the highest ICE enforcement activity in the country. Operations have targeted South Florida, the Tampa Bay area, and agricultural communities in Central Florida and the Panhandle. State law enforcement has been directed to cooperate with and support federal immigration enforcement.
School policies
State law effectively prohibits district-level sanctuary-type policies. Some individual schools and administrators have worked informally to support immigrant families, but formal protective policies face significant legal and political obstacles. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County schools serve large immigrant populations without formal warrant-requirement policies.
Notes for advocates
Florida's large and diverse immigrant population — including communities from Cuba, Haiti, Central America, Venezuela, and many other countries — makes the absence of school protections especially significant. Miami-Dade County Schools is the fourth largest school district in the country and serves tens of thousands of students from mixed-status families. Advocates face a difficult legislative environment.
Is your district protected?
Find out whether your school district has a warrant-based policy in place, and what you can do if it doesn't.