Brevard County joins ICE initiative to detain undocumented immigrants after arrest

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has joined 16 other Florida sheriffs in a new agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold undocumented people who have been arrested for allegedly committing crimes.

Rony Mendez, 26, an undocumented Guatemalan, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison last year in Polk County for sexually assaulting and impregnating a 10-year-old girl.

“You, the taxpayer, are paying for him for violent acts he did against children in this country and he should not have ever been here,” said Grady Judd, Polk County sheriff and president of the Florida Sheriff’s Association.

Alongside Judd and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, more than a dozen others have teamed with ICE to hold undocumented criminals facing release up to 48 hours, allowing ICE agents to pick up the accused criminals.

“It's a really good common-sense solution to a problem we've dealt with for several years,” said Lt. John Herrell with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office wasn't selected for the volunteer program, but Herrell said he hopes his agency joins as ICE plans an expansion after an earlier version of the detainer was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2014

Herrell said added safeguards, including, a required federal warrant for each case, make the deal different

“This written agreement insulates local sheriffs from civil liability, whereas now with the proper paperwork, we can hold those criminal aliens in the jail for up to 48 hours and even receive reimbursement from ICE, so we're not putting criminals right back in the community,” Herrell said.

Immigration attorneys told Eyewitness News they predict more legal battles on what they still see as a violation of civil rights.

Supporters said the ICE program will keep Florida safer.

Cox Media Group