PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Palm Beach County Sheriff Bradshaw said the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will not conduct immigration sweeps with ICE, even as deputies continue checking people they encounter during routine calls for service.
Bradshaw addressed the issue directly, saying fear has spread in parts of the county because of what he described as disinformation from outside groups and some news media coverage.
“There is so much disinformation about this,” Bradshaw said. “There’s groups out here that are putting out information that are just scaring people. Some of the news media is doing the same thing.”
The sheriff said immigration enforcement remains a difficult issue for many residents, particularly in communities where people may be afraid to contact law enforcement. But he said PBSO’s position is clear.
“We have not done and will not do immigration sweeps with ICE, like you saw in Minnesota, like you saw in these other places,” Bradshaw said. “We’re not going to do that.”
Bradshaw said PBSO has spoken with community groups and has maintained communication with the Hispanic ministry in an effort to answer concerns. He said some residents still believe there is a broader operation taking place.
“There is nothing else going on,” Bradshaw said.
The sheriff drew a line between immigration sweeps and what deputies do during normal law enforcement calls. He said PBSO deputies check the identities of people they deal with during calls, including callers, because the agency needs to know who is involved in an incident.
Bradshaw said deputies have encountered people who called for help and were later found to be wanted for serious crimes. Because of that, he said, deputies routinely ask for names and run checks through law enforcement systems.
“If it comes back that you’re wanted or there’s a hold for immigration because you’re here illegally, we can’t just say, have a nice day,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw said the issue is also tied to state law and direction from the governor. He said the law requires enforcement when an immigration hold is found.
“The law is very specific on this,” Bradshaw said. “There’s a state statute passed by the legislature and the governor has told us you will enforce it, period. So it’s kind of out of our hands.”
Bradshaw also referenced a recent case in which he said a man called for help and a deputy ran his information through the system. The check showed an immigration hold, Bradshaw said. The man then ran from deputies, which Bradshaw said changed the nature of the response.
“He didn’t make it easy on himself because he ran,” Bradshaw said. “Now we really think something’s bad going on because we got to go chase him down.”
Bradshaw said PBSO has encountered about 500 people in immigration-related checks and characterized most of them as people involved in serious criminal activity, including drug dealers and child molesters. He said the large volume of calls handled by PBSO also means the agency will face difficult situations.
“When you have 1.3 million calls for service, your chances of making a mistake are pretty good,” Bradshaw said. “There’s going to be a little bump in the road every once in a while that we wish had gone a different way.”
Bradshaw acknowledged that some residents may fear calling PBSO because of their immigration status. He said that in most calls, deputies respond, handle the issue and leave. But he also said people cannot run from deputies, and that immigration issues may have to be addressed if they come up during a lawful interaction.
“There’s a difference between somebody just snuck across the border and somebody didn’t get their green card,” Bradshaw said. “We get that.”
The sheriff closed by repeating that PBSO will not take part in immigration sweeps, but will continue to act when deputies encounter immigration holds during normal law enforcement work.
“We haven’t, we won’t do the sweeps, period,” Bradshaw said. “Will we do what we have to do in our normal course of business? Absolutely.”
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