Kurt Hoffman says there must be consequences for what he calls crimes.
By Ramon Lopez
Original Air Date: March 25, 2026
Host: Grady Judd has been an advocate of strict immigration enforcement. That’s why the Polk County Sheriff surprised many last week when he announced he would advocate with the Trump administration for a slowdown in mass deportations. Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman does not think much of Judd’s initiative. Ramon Lopez has that story.
Ramon Lopez: Always outspoken Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd last week stirred up some controversy within high-level Florida political circles.
Judd is chairman of the State Immigration Enforcement Council. It’s a group of local law enforcement officials appointed to advise the State Board of Immigration Enforcement on illegal immigration.
He said he supports President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when it comes to mass deportation of undocumented immigrants committing serious crimes, the so-called “worst of the worst.” But Judd says current federal enforcement is casting too wide a net.
Judd advocates a path for undocumented immigrants who haven’t committed crimes to stay in the United States. And he plans to send a letter to Trump and House and Senate leaders outlining just how to do that.
ICE agents in riot gear at a detention facility | Photo: ICE
But DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier pushed back on such a “course correction.” DeSantis said allowing law-abiding undocumented aliens to stay is “incoherent” and “inconsistent” with his administration’s hardline stance. And the attorney general said, “I don’t write the law. I enforce it. If people are here illegally, then they are breaking the law.”
Judd was backed by two other sheriffs on the Council. And he said sheriffs across the state have called him in support. But that didn’t include Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman.
WSLR spoke to Hoffman about Judd’s position. He had this to say:
Sheriff Kurt Hoffman | Photo: Lopez
Kurt Hoffman: If you’ve come here illegally, then you’ve broken the law, and those warrants are in the system. Civil detainers, as they are, should be enforced. It’s not fair to the people who are doing it properly and are in line trying to get here legally for those folks to come here illegally. There needs to be consequences for that.
If you drive intoxicated, you have consequences, so they should have consequences as well. You drive without a license, you get a court date, and you’re held accountable to show up on that court date. I’m not going to hold them to a different standard.
If you commit a crime, there are consequences. Now, that consequence may be a small fine; it may be that the court throws it out; it may be that you have to do community service. But I don’t think I can take a whole section of things that are being done illegally and say, “We’re not going to focus on that.”
RL: Polk County Sheriff Judd previously criticized the White House for poaching local law enforcement officers in Florida to build the ICE agent roster. Judd sees the DHS funding shutdown and the withholding of ICE agent and TSA officers’ paychecks as an opportunity to boost his department’s recruiting.
Sheriff Grady Judd | Photo via polksheriff.org
Grady Judd: Hello to all of you TSA and ICE agents. We recruit here at the sheriff’s office for the best and the brightest. We even have recruiting bonuses. But best yet, we really give you a paycheck, and we never delay them. We even have overtime. Come work with us. You’ll not miss a paycheck. Ever.
RL: This is Ramon Lopez for WSLR News.
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