Walton County Deputies Enforce Immigration Law Through Federal Agreement

Why it matters locally: California, with its large immigrant population, frequently grapples with similar federal-local immigration enforcement agreements. Debates around the efficacy and impact on community trust of such agreements are ongoing within the state.

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — Sheriff's deputies in Walton County, Florida, operate under a federal agreement that enables them to enforce immigration laws. This arrangement allows deputies to identify and hold individuals for federal immigration authorities. An NPR examination focused on how this cooperation agreement functions within the sheriff's office. The Walton County Sheriff's Office participates in a program that certifies its deputies to act on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This certification grants local law enforcement officers the authority to perform certain federal immigration enforcement duties. The process typically involves deputies identifying individuals they believe violate immigration statutes. Following these identifications, deputies detain the individuals. They then coordinate with ICE agents for transfer. Sergeant Oscar D'Lassalas, a 40-year-old deputy with the Walton County Sheriff's Office, holds certification to enforce federal immigration law. He works near the county jail, where authorities hold individuals for ICE agents to collect. This partnership between the local sheriff's office and ICE integrates federal immigration enforcement into the local law enforcement structure. Walton County, located in the Florida Panhandle, utilizes this system to manage immigration-related arrests within its jurisdiction.