Key Takeaways
• Florida proposes state-run deportation flights, requiring federal approval for international removals.
• National Guard lawyers to be trained as immigration judges to speed up removal cases.
• Plan targets undocumented immigrants with criminal records or final removal orders; 10,000 detention beds secured.
Florida is moving forward with a new plan that could change how states deal with immigration. Governor Ron DeSantis has introduced an idea for Florida to create and run its own deportation flights for undocumented immigrants. This proposal is designed to give the state more control over what happens to people living in Florida 🇺🇸 who don’t have legal permission to be in the country.
The plan comes on the heels of record arrests and growing attention from both supporters and critics. The details of how Florida intends to turn these plans into action involve working with private airlines, training National Guard lawyers to serve as immigration judges, and building up the state’s detention system. There are big questions about what is possible under federal law, and how much power a state like Florida 🇺🇸 can really have in deportation matters.
Let’s look at the main points of this proposal, the historical context, and what it could mean for immigrants, businesses, law enforcement, and communities in Florida 🇺🇸 and beyond.
Florida’s State-Run Deportation Flights: What’s Being Proposed?
Governor DeSantis wants Florida 🇺🇸 to play a much bigger part in immigration enforcement. One of the most talked-about ideas is creating state-run deportation flights. Here’s what’s included in the plan:
- Deportation Flights: Florida 🇺🇸 would pay private companies to provide planes that are ready to transport undocumented immigrants. These flights could carry only a few people or very large groups. The flights would either take people to detention centers inside the United States 🇺🇸 or fly them directly to their home countries.
- Training National Guard Lawyers: The plan includes training the National Guard’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) lawyers so they can serve as immigration judges. This would help speed up decisions about who can stay and who must leave.
- Detention Facilities: Florida 🇺🇸 says it has contracts with 12 companies that can provide up to 10,000 beds in centers that meet Homeland Security standards. This means the state would be able to hold many more people while their immigration cases are reviewed.
- Help With Self-Deportation: The proposal also sets up help for people who want to leave on their own. If an immigrant chooses to return to their country voluntarily, the state would coordinate and support that process.
This blueprint is part of a larger effort to get tough on immigration, a key area Governor DeSantis has pushed since the beginning of his term.
Working With the Federal Government and Using the National Guard
One of the main points of Florida’s proposal is how it overlaps with federal law. In the United States 🇺🇸, only the federal government can officially remove someone from the country. States have to follow certain rules and cooperate with agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Florida 🇺🇸 wants to take advantage of agreements known as “287(g)” programs. These agreements allow state and local officers to help identify immigrants who might be deported and start the deportation process. Normally, only federal officers could do this part of the job. As reported by VisaVerge.com, using the 287(g) program, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, county sheriffs, and other local police have been given special training and permission to work closely with ICE. This marks a big step in how local law enforcement can take part in immigration enforcement.
A key part of the plan involves the National Guard. Training National Guard lawyers to handle immigration cases could speed up the court process and make it easier to handle large numbers of immigrants with pending cases.
Florida’s leaders want even more say in the process, especially when it comes to flying people out of the country. However, the state cannot send people out of the United States 🇺🇸 without permission from the Department of Homeland Security. Immigration law and international agreements mean that travel documents and clear procedures must be followed. While the state wants to expand its power, it still has to work with the federal government to make international deportations possible.
Recent Actions Set the Stage
It’s important to understand why this is happening now in Florida 🇺🇸. Governor DeSantis has taken several public steps related to immigration enforcement in the last few years.
In April 2025, ICE and Florida’s police carried out the largest immigration sweep in state history, arresting over 1,100 people with criminal records in just one week. This was the biggest operation of its kind in any state so far, and it highlighted how closely the state is working with federal agencies.
Florida 🇺🇸 also caught national attention with “Air DeSantis.” Previously, the state organized flights that sent migrants from other states, including Texas 🇺🇸, to other parts of the country, such as Martha’s Vineyard. These domestic flights drew both praise and strong criticism. Supporters said it was a creative way to deal with overcrowding at the border, while critics said the state did not have legal grounds to send people across state lines without clear federal approval or agreement from the places where migrants were sent.
This new plan is different because it aims for direct flights to people’s home countries, not just moves within the United States 🇺🇸. Governor DeSantis says that many of the people the state wants to deport have already received final removal orders from immigration courts. He’s waiting for a “green light” from the Trump administration that would let state-run flights send people back to their countries.
The Legal and Practical Challenges
While Florida 🇺🇸 wants to move forward, there are still major hurdles. Deporting people across international borders is something usually controlled by the federal government. There are strict rules about who can remove someone from the country, what documents are needed, and how the process works.
For example, if Florida 🇺🇸 wanted to send someone back to their home country, the government of that country would have to agree to receive them, and travel papers would need to be in place. These are things only the federal government usually handles under international law.
Governor DeSantis and his team believe they can do more if they receive extra authority from Washington. “We can run flights…wherever they need,” he said on Fox News, but added that the state still needs approval from the Department of Homeland Security before any large-scale deportations could take place.
Contracts With Airlines and Detention Vendors
A big part of the plan involves working with private companies. Florida 🇺🇸 has talked about using budget airlines like Avelo Airlines. These companies might provide planes for either moving people to detention centers within the United States 🇺🇸 or even flying them directly home if allowed. Currently, these airline contracts are run by the federal government through ICE, not by the state itself.
Florida 🇺🇸 says it is ready if given the go-ahead. With 12 vendors lined up, the state could handle thousands of people in detention at once. These detention centers must meet certain safety and care rules set by the Department of Homeland Security.
If you want to know more about federal policies on removal and detention, you can check the official ICE Removal and Detention process so you can see exactly what standards must be met.
Who Is Targeted by the New Plan?
The blueprint focuses on a few key groups:
- People with Criminal Records: The main targets are undocumented immigrants who have been arrested for or convicted of crimes.
- Those With Final Removal Orders: Many of those Florida 🇺🇸 wants to deport have already lost their cases in immigration court. They are waiting to be removed from the country.
- Voluntary Departures: Some immigrants might want to leave by choice. The plan offers help to those who agree to go back home without being forced.
Political and Social Reactions
This proposal has raised debate both in and outside Florida 🇺🇸. Supporters say it will make communities safer and reduce strain on resources. They argue that local control will let the state respond faster to growing immigration issues.
Critics worry the plan could lead to mistakes, target the wrong people, or create confusion for families and communities. Legal experts point out that states cannot ignore federal laws or international agreements, and there is a risk of lawsuits if people are moved without the right process.
Some airline companies have faced public pressure and backlash for helping with deportation flights. Groups that defend immigrant rights have also raised concerns about treating people fairly, especially those with families, children, or valid claims for asylum.
The Role of the National Guard
A new idea in the plan is to have National Guard lawyers serve as immigration judges. The National Guard usually helps in emergencies like hurricanes or disasters, but here, the idea is they could speed up immigration courts by handling legal cases. The hope is that this will make deportation decisions faster and help Florida 🇺🇸 handle the cases of thousands of immigrants waiting for their day in court.
This approach has never been tried on this scale, so no one knows how well it will work or what challenges will come up.
Possible Impact for Immigrants and Florida Communities
If the plan goes through, it could bring big changes for immigrants, employers, and communities across Florida 🇺🇸. Here is what could happen:
- Faster Deportations: Those arrested or with removal orders could be sent back home more quickly.
- More Detentions: With space for 10,000 in detention centers, more people may end up in custody while their cases move through the system.
- Legal Questions: Lawyers and advocacy groups may challenge parts of the plan in court. There could be lawsuits over whether the state is overstepping its boundaries.
- Community Concerns: Families and employers might face sudden losses if key members or workers are detained or deported.
For immigrants in Florida 🇺🇸, knowing the rules and rights is more important than ever. Many will need legal help to understand their options, especially as the state tries to play a bigger role in the immigration process.
The Bottom Line: Waiting on Federal Approval
Governor DeSantis and state leaders say Florida 🇺🇸 is ready to act, but the plan cannot move forward without Washington’s approval. The Trump administration’s stance on immigration gives states like Florida 🇺🇸 more room to take action, but sending people home to other countries is something federal law still controls.
At this point, the proposal is a blueprint. Actual deportation flights run by the state and large-scale use of the National Guard will depend on getting the right legal permissions and addressing all the practical details, from contracts with airlines to working with foreign governments.
The next steps for the plan depend on whether the Department of Homeland Security provides formal permission. If the “green light” comes, Florida 🇺🇸 could become the first state to run its own deportation flights on a wide scale—a major shift from how things have worked in the past.
What to Watch Next
There are still many questions. Will the federal government allow Florida 🇺🇸 to take on this responsibility? How will other states react? Could this change the way immigration is handled across the country? And most of all, what will the impact be for the people caught in the system, and for communities who rely on immigrants for work and support?
One thing is clear: Florida’s proposal, including possible use of the National Guard and direct state involvement in deportation flights, has started a new debate about how far states can go in dealing with immigration. For now, everyone is watching what happens next—both in the state and across the country.
If you want to follow the latest policy updates, you can always visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s official site, which offers updates on current procedures and law changes.
In summary, Florida’s new approach could set a new path for state-led immigration enforcement. But for now, state-run deportation flights and expanded National Guard roles remain plans on paper—waiting for federal approval, careful legal checks, and likely more debate in courts and communities alike.
Learn Today
Deportation Flights → Chartered flights specifically organized to remove undocumented immigrants from the United States, either domestically or internationally.
287(g) Program → Federal agreements allowing state and local law enforcement officers to assist in identifying and initiating removal for undocumented immigrants.
Final Removal Orders → Decisions from immigration courts stating an individual must leave the U.S., typically after all appeals have been exhausted.
National Guard Judge Advocate General (JAG) → Lawyers in the National Guard trained to serve as legal advisors and, under this proposal, as immigration judges.
Detention Facilities → Secure centers used to hold undocumented immigrants while their immigration cases are reviewed or pending removal.
This Article in a Nutshell
Florida’s new immigration plan, championed by Governor DeSantis, aims for direct control over deportations using state-run flights. With unprecedented proposals like National Guard lawyers as judges and expanded detention capacity, the approach could redefine Florida’s role—if federal approval is granted. This bold move brings national attention and intense debate over states’ immigration authority.
— By VisaVerge.com
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