'It's about success, being a winner. It's about numbers, it's about measurement,' the state's immigration czar told a group of sheriffs and others.

Florida's new illegal immigration advisory panel is asking President Donald Trump to sign more executive orders to allow state law enforcement to expedite the removal of undocumented immigrants, including those who do not have removal orders or criminal records.

The State Immigration Enforcement Council met in Largo on Monday, where chair Grady Judd said local law enforcement needs federal policy change at the highest levels, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"It cannot be overstated that ICE must modify its current policy and create proactive rules allowing local and state law enforcement in Florida to help ICE reach their full potential to resolve the immigration crisis," said Judd, the Polk County sheriff.

It was an "Immigration 101" session for the council's first meeting, with the state's immigration czar and law enforcement officers sharing their observations, concerns and frustrations as they begin to enforce the state's new immigration laws in collaboration with the feds.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri was concerned about the constitutionality of one of the immigration laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and officials voiced frustrations with the federal government, which blocked the state's attempts to have all 67 jails available to house potential immigrant detainees.

They lamented that "lawyers got involved" and got "cold feet" because that kind of agreement had never been done before. "Unprecedented and unconventional doesn't mean unlawful," said Larry Keefe, the executive director of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.

Gualtieri said sheriffs came up with an agreement between law enforcement and ICE to house people arrested with a civil immigration charge, but "ICE headquarters" denied their proposal. Currently there are only housing agreements with seven county jails.

Keefe said he and the governor met in Sarasota with Trump and Tom Homan, acting border czar, and later had meetings with with senior ICE leadership, but did not have any update on the jail agreement.

As previously reported, Homan told the National Association of Sheriffs conference that the administration plans to lower detention standards , allowing local law enforcement to detain immigrants using state standards instead of more rigorous federal guidelines.

"We're rehashing detention standards," he said. "As long as you follow your own state standards, if that's good enough for a U.S. citizen in your county, it's good enough for an illegal immigrant detained for us."

There are only 2,000 beds available in Florida, with another 300 becoming available tomorrow in Glades County, Gualtieri said.

'How many of them are there? Where are they?'

"I know this from working with the governor and from what I know about President Trump: It's about success, being a winner. It's about numbers, it's about measurement," Keefe said. "How many people in the state of Florida are ... amenable to deportation? How many of them are there? Where are they? And let's go and make it happen."

Florida has magnified its immigration enforcement efforts since Trump took office in January. Both DeSantis and the Florida Legislature had a contentious couple of weeks in early spring as they fought over how to be "ahead of the curve" on illegal immigration.

DeSantis later signed a package of bills that increased the penalties for illegal immigration and also created the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, which consists of DeSantis and the three Florida Cabinet officials – the attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

Keefe, the board's executive director, used to be north Florida's top federal prosecutor and the state’s public safety czar. He was also heavily involved in the 2022 arranging of flights of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to blue states. Keefe, the governor and other officials were involved in a lawsuit after the fact.

Keefe said the state's protocols for hurricane response have served as a blueprint for the transportation and housing of large groups of people. He recommended that Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie and the head of the Florida National Guard, Major General John Haas, also attend the immigration council meetings.

He also suggested using the Florida National Guard's judge advocate generals (JAGs) as immigration judges, as they can get "authorized relatively rapidly," he said. Also Monday, Keefe was named to the First Judicial Circuit's Judicial Nominating Commission by the governor.

'The governor is very serious'

Florida's new immigration laws include a measure that makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly enter or attempt to enter the state after entering the U.S. by eluding or avoiding examination or inspection by immigration officers.

But Gualtieri said the law isn't workable, as it leaves ambiguity as to whether someone has to be charged while entering the state or if being in the state is the crime, and the law requires proof that the person illegally crossed the border.

"I don't think you could charge this unless you actually see them enter Florida," he said.

Earlier in the meeting, Keefe said "risk aversion" is where the the council will meet its "choke points" in trying to enact the state's new immigration policy.

"There are lawyers in some room somewhere, I predict, that are making these judgment calls that become the reason not to do," Keefe said. "There may be a good reason, all I want to do is see it, be transparent and open, so that people know why this isn't happening. If at the end of the day, it turns out to be, 'Well, we might get sued and be lawsuit number 1,562 related to immigration,' then maybe that's where this needs to play out."

Grady cautioned the law enforcement leaders that were watching the meeting to listen to all the information, even if it was "in the weeds."

"I underscore, I highlight, I put in parentheses, make sure you pay attention to this very detailed law ... (T)he governor is absolutely, unequivocally, along with the attorney general, going to hold any government, any actor, no matter what level, accountable and responsible, if they don't fall follow these laws," Judd said.

He added, "The governor is very serious about this and anyone who tries to usurp or defy this law will be held accountable by the appropriate sources."

Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at .