00:17So, you know, we've, you know, I mentioned our efforts on illegal immigration stepping up and really helping.
00:22And I think the one thing that we have seen over the initial months of the Trump administration is
00:28when we'd ask DHS, what can we do, they're just like, you know, we just need detention space.
00:33Because, you know, when you bring, if you bring in a legal in, there is, I mean, the media says there's no,
00:38there is a process they go through, right, to determine whether you're in the country illegally.
00:43Some people may have a notice to appear in seven days and from an immigration judge.
00:47Some people may already have an order of, so there's stuff that go into it.
00:51And so, but that was the one thing, I mean, I've talked to Tom Homan about it,
00:54I've talked to a lot of these folks about it.
00:55And so, we had a plan that we put out and told them, hey, we can execute this.
01:00I think we probably put it out about a month or so ago through the Division of Emergency Management
01:05under our director, Kevin Guthrie, where we would be able to stand up some makeshift detention space
01:10very quickly around the state of Florida.
01:13And we were talking about other different possibilities.
01:17So, DHS was very supportive.
01:18So, you know, what we're doing is like the state is doing it.
01:22The feds are kind of overseeing and then reimbursing us for the cost.
01:26But, you know, we're looking at, okay, where could you do it that's not going to disturb the community,
01:31not going to create problems.
01:33And, you know, there just happens to be this Dade Collier Airport that's out there,
01:37kind of in the middle of the Everglade area.
01:41And it's not defunct.
01:42People say there are training flights that go in there.
01:45But it's a massive runway.
01:47And, you know, there's different – there's not a lot of buildings out there,
01:50but there's a lot of concrete.
01:51And so, these guys set up this whole thing within a matter of days.
01:55And so, when the president comes tomorrow, he's going to be able to see, you know,
02:00you're going to be able to do – what will happen is you bring people in there.
02:04They ain't going anywhere once they're there unless you want them to go somewhere
02:07because good luck getting the civilization.
02:10So, the security is amazing.
02:12But what – natural and otherwise.
02:16But what the – what it can be, I think, is an effective way to increase the number of removals
02:26and deportations, which ultimately, if you don't do that, you know,
02:30you're going to continue to have this problem of illegal immigration.
02:32So, you'll be able to bring people in.
02:34They'll get processed.
02:35They have an order of removal.
02:36Then they can be queued.
02:38And you can – the federal government can fly right on the runway, right there.
02:42You literally drive them 2,000 feet, put them on a plane,
02:45and then they're gone.
02:46It's very logistically simple.
02:49But what we're also going to do is, you know, this idea of immigration – these are not
02:53Article III judges.
02:55They're not federal judges like we think of.
02:57These are executive branch employees who are called immigration judges.
03:00So, you can have pretty much – you can deputize different employees to do that.
03:04So, we've offered some of our national guardsmen to be able to serve as immigration judges.
03:09So, what you could have is, okay, someone's a criminal alien.
03:13They obviously fast-track.
03:14Someone has an order of deportation.
03:16Okay, fast-track.
03:17Someone may have just gotten picked up.
03:19They come.
03:19They can get, like, a notice to appear.
03:21Biden would tell you to come in two years.
03:23I mean, under the Trump administration, it's usually within, you know, 14 to 30 days.
03:27But we can have those – our national guard acting as immigration judges right on site.
03:32So, you go, maybe you have a day or two, whatever, and then a decision's made, and then that's it.
03:39So, this would potentially be a force multiplier as this goes.
03:43And so, you know, I did speak with the president this weekend.
03:45He's very excited about doing it.
03:48But I think what he wants to see is, you know, Florida should not be the only one in this fight, right?
03:54I mean, like, we literally are doing what the voters who elected all of us have been demanding for many, many years.
04:01And immigration was maybe the number one issue, maybe inflation, but certainly no worse than the second most important issue in the 2024 presidential election.
04:18So, we've got to do it.
04:19And we're also looking at Camp Blanding up in northeast Florida, which has a runway.
04:24And, again, similar thing, secure, not going to interrupt the community, be able to fly people out.
04:32The feds will do it.
04:33I mean, we actually – I mean, we flew to Martha's Vineyard, right?
04:36I mean, we could probably fly there.
04:38But I think they want to be in charge of that because there's diplomatic niceties that go on.
04:43And I get it.
04:44So – but I do think that if you increase the amount of space for processing and then to be able to get them ripe,
04:52to then be able to return to their home country by the thousands, you know, that's going to really make a difference.
04:57And in Florida, we estimate we've got 50,000 illegal aliens in Florida who have already been ordered to be removed by an immigration judge.
05:09So, you talk about, dude, they've gone through this process.
05:12They have an order to remove, and they're just still here.
05:15And so – so that's low-hanging fruit.
05:17But we were in a situation where there's such a limited space that ICE has.
05:23You know, do you want all of our jails to be overflowing with the legals,
05:26or would you rather have that done in a separate mission?
05:29Because, you know, unfortunately, we've got U.S. citizens committing crimes,
05:32and they are going to need to be held accountable.
05:34So – so it puts pressure on – it takes pressure off of our local institutions in a way that I think will be very, very efficient.
05:42So it should be – I think people are impressed.
05:44You know, you – I think a lot of people didn't even know there was an airport there.
05:48I mean, like – but there is there.
05:50I mean, it's a good facility.
05:52You know, things are being done in, I think, a very efficient fashion.
05:56And I was really – I mean, honestly, I was impressed.
05:58But I know dealing with the hurricane response and all the other – I mean, monoclonal antibodies during COVID.
06:04We would set up monoclonal antibody clinics on 24-hour notice.
06:08Hey, we need one in Jacksonville.
06:0924 hours later, it's up.
06:11That's this emergency response apparatus that we have.
06:15So I think it'll be – I think it'll be interesting to see.
06:17And I believe by tomorrow they will be open.
06:22So DHS approved us doing this last week.
06:25And I think by tomorrow it'll be ready for business.
