Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony defended himself and his agency Monday against accusations he was not taking his obligations on immigration seriously enough.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent Tony a letter early Monday warning that he could be removed from office if he did not clarify statements that left Uthmeier with the impression he would not be helping the feds enforce immigration law.

“I would hope your statements were mere political posturing, but if not, your expressed positions would constitute a failure of your statutory obligation to utilize ‘the best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law’” under Florida statutes, Uthmeier wrote.

A week earlier, Tony had told members of the Broward County Commission that the Sheriff’s Office has been in compliance with requirements, working with federal partners, while there also are many other law enforcement demands across Broward. “We have other priorities in this community that I’m focused on, and immigration is not one of them, not to dismiss the importance of that.”

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