Gov. DeSantis doubles down on crime, immigration stance at Florida Sheriffs’ Association conference in Ponte Vedra

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis reinforced Florida’s stance on crime and immigration on Tuesday during remarks at the 2026 Florida Sheriffs’ Association Conference in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Addressing law enforcement leaders from across the state, DeSantis took the stage and spoke about Florida’s approach to tackling crime, while also sharing strong opinions on immigration policy.

“I understand there needs to be cooperation when you’re dealing with some of these major issues. At the beginning of last year, I called a special session of the Florida Legislature so that we would be on the same page across jurisdictions with respect to the immigration interior enforcement,” DeSantis said. “I knew when President Trump was taking office, you had to be on the same page. We banned sanctuary cities my first year as governor. We did other things to beef up the fight.”

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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also spoke at the event on Monday, sharing an update on a partnership between Walmart and the Bridegan Foundation to expand the placement of “Bexley Boxes” across the state.