Sarasota County deputies have earned more than $280,000 in state funding for their work at Alligator Alcatraz and more.

The county’s growing role comes as Florida positions itself as a testing ground for aggressive, state-backed immigration enforcement.

Critics warn about the high potential human costs of an immigration crackdown.

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. Mea

See Full Page