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Sarasota Sheriff cashes in on ICE crackdown
Sarasota Sheriff cashes in on ICE crackdown
By Alice Herman
Published: Oct. 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - As the federal government intensifies its immigration crackdown, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has emerged as one of the Suncoast’s most active partners with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In recent months, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman’s deputies have patrolled the Everglades immigration jail known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and shuttled immigrants between detention facilities in Florida, earning more than $280,000 in state funding for the work.
Meanwhile, the number of ICE detainers — which keep people up to 48 hours past their release date for possible detention and deportation — have quadrupled this past year inside the already crowded county jail.
Sarasota County’s ICE activity stands in sharp contrast to neighboring agencies. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has not sent deputies to Alligator Alcatraz or transported immigrants for ICE, according to a spokesperson. And while North Port sought state reimbursements, its request was only a third the size of Sarasota’s.
{snip}
By Alice Herman
Published: Oct. 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - As the federal government intensifies its immigration crackdown, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has emerged as one of the Suncoast’s most active partners with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In recent months, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman’s deputies have patrolled the Everglades immigration jail known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and shuttled immigrants between detention facilities in Florida, earning more than $280,000 in state funding for the work.
Meanwhile, the number of ICE detainers — which keep people up to 48 hours past their release date for possible detention and deportation — have quadrupled this past year inside the already crowded county jail.
Sarasota County’s ICE activity stands in sharp contrast to neighboring agencies. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has not sent deputies to Alligator Alcatraz or transported immigrants for ICE, according to a spokesperson. And while North Port sought state reimbursements, its request was only a third the size of Sarasota’s.
{snip}