Bodycam Shows Florida FWC Struggling With 287(g) Immigration Arrests: 800 Deputized, Minimal Training, Jail Refusals

Body camera footage from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers shows one of the first on-camera uses of state-deputized immigration enforcement under 287(g). Officers detained five undocumented migrants during a fishing inspection, struggled with Spanish-language communication, consulted ICE by phone, and were refused intake by a county jail. Officers described roughly an hour of online training and referenced directives to check immigration status based on appearance, raising profiling and civil-rights concerns. FWC says more than 800 officers are deputized; the state has reported ~180 encounters in 90 days.