Gov. DeSantis Taps Florida Lottery, Gambling Regulator to Join Migrant Crackdown

• Florida Gov. says state agencies like Florida Lottery and Gaming Commission will aid in migration enforcement
• Implementation details, such as ID requirements for lottery or alcohol purchases, remain unclear

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Thursday more state agencies will partner with federal authorities to apprehend undocumented migrants, including the Florida Lottery and the Florida Gaming Commission.

DeSantis was speaking at a news conference held jointly with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Miami to boast that Florida was leading the country with the most immigration arrests made in one week.

Some 1,120 “criminal aliens” had been nabbed as part of a crackdown dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” the governor said.

‘Target-Rich Environments’

Almost 100 state and local law enforcement agencies in Florida have already been enlisted in the so-called 287(g) program, which allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deputize state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

DeSantis isn’t stopping stop there. He wants regulatory agencies involved too. As well as the lottery and the state gaming regulator, this will include the Department of Business and Professional Regulation Division of Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco, the governor said.

[The agencies] all operate in what we would consider target-rich environments. During their routine inspection and investigative duties, special agents are oftentimes in contact with people who may be in our country illegally,” DeSantis said. “So we think deputizing those officers in regulatory spaces is going to be another source to lead to these immigration and enforcement efforts,” he added.

However, DeSantis was sketchy about how this would work in practice and whether it would mean, for example, that lottery players would need to provide documentation at point-of-sale when buying tickets.

“I think that remains to be seen how they’re exactly they are going to do it,” he said. “I think these folks are involved in areas where they are likely going to be able to add value to what ICE and DHS are doing. So just stay tuned and see how that unfolds.”

Can Illegal Immigrants Win Lottery?

Undocumented migrants aren’t explicitly barred from winning or claiming lottery prizes in Florida or anywhere else in the country, nor do lottery officials inquire about a claimant’s immigration status, although that may no longer be the case, at least in Florida.

Typically, any winner who isn’t a US citizen or cannot provide the required documentation will see at least 30% of their prize withheld for federal tax purposes — higher than the standard 24% withholding rate — plus potential state taxes.

Now, they might also get deported.