Florida was top stated destination of illegal immigrants who arrived under Biden: Report

Florida was the top destination that immigrants released from the U.S.-Mexico border after entering illegally told federal law enforcement they planned to settle between the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, through the Biden administration, and into mid-2025, according to a new report.From October 2018 through July 2025, most of which fell during former President Joe Biden’s single term, 4.5 million non-U.S. citizens were apprehended by Border Patrol and permitted to remain in the United States temporarily through court proceedings after entering the country illegally, in part due to the sheer volume of entries, which made detaining and immediately removing them difficult for the federal government.More immigrants set their sights on Florida than on blue states, such as California, Illinois, and New York, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data released Thursday. Florida rose during the Biden administration to become the most sought-after destination among foreigners coming into the country from Mexico, although the report did not specify the extent to which it outperformed other states.If immigrants released at the border did move to Florida and have remained there, it would make the state a prime target for the Trump administration’s deportation effort. Under Trump, Florida has been the most cooperative state to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest illegal immigrants, effectively deputizing state and local police to carry out some of ICE’s responsibilities, therefore leading to higher arrests than in most other states.The state was ranked by WalletHub in 2024 as the third-most diverse state in the nation. South Florida, in particular, is known for a diverse Latin American population.Of the 4.5 million illegal immigrants let into the U.S., roughly 773,000 were from Venezuela, followed by 539,000 citizens of Cuba, 404,000 from Mexico, 388,000 from Honduras, and 354,000 from Colombia.Most large cities and even a number of states have laws or policies in place that prohibit local and state police from turning over an illegal immigrant in custody for a crime to ICE. These sanctuary city policies make them popular destinations for immigrants in the country illegally or awaiting court proceedings.Democratic mayors of major cities sued the Trump administration this month following the federal government’s attempt to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who may become financially dependent on U.S. welfare programs while in the country.BLUE CITIES SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP IMMIGRANTS ON WELFARENew York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday that New York; Chicago; the city and county of San Francisco; Santa Clara County, California; Seattle; King County, Washington; and the Public Rights Project had filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow over the government’s new public charge rule.The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) did not respond to a request for comment.