Former U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe re-emerges as Florida's new 'public safety czar'
Keefe will focus on illegal immigration
Jeff Burlew
Former north Florida U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe, a Donald Trump nominee who was shown the door after Joe Biden's White House win, re-emerged as the state's new "public safety czar," helping Gov. Ron DeSantis' crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
DeSantis announced Keefe's appointment during a news conference Tuesday in Fort Myers, where he also announced a new lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's immigration policies and an executive order banning state agencies from "facilitating illegal immigration into Florida."
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Joined by Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and Keefe himself, DeSantis said the former top federal prosecutor would ensure actions in the executive order are carried out.
"I am proud to appoint Larry Keefe, the former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, to serve as public safety czar as we take key steps to protect Florida taxpayers from bearing the burden of reckless immigration policies," the governor said. "We will continue to hold the federal government accountable for refusing to enforce the immigration laws of this country."
Keefe, a former trial attorney from Shalimar, served as U.S. attorney from 2019 until late February, when he resigned as part of the customary post-election turnover of top federal prosecutors after a new party takes over in Washington.
"As a former U.S. attorney, I saw illegal aliens that would get deported and come back, and then get deported and come back in an endless cycle," Keefe said. "The states, including Florida, bear the brunt of this cycle."
He went on to say that over coming weeks and months, "our state agencies will be addressing the impacts illegal immigration has had on our state. I want to thank Gov. DeSantis for appointing me to lead these efforts."
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A DeSantis spokesperson said Keefe will work closely with the governor and his senior staff, state agency heads, lawmakers, constituent groups, federal agencies and citizens to develop policies and oversee their implementation. He will earn $125,000 a year.
Keefe, who maintained high visibility during his time in office, occasionally suiting up with law enforcement as they went after suspects, had hoped to stay on as U.S. attorney, even after Biden's win.
Over the years, Keefe donated to both Republican and Democratic candidates, from Congressman Matt Gaetz, who spent a decade at Keefe's former law firm, to Hillary Clinton.
He had the backing of a number of prominent Democrats, including Congressman Al Lawson, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey. But lobbying efforts on his behalf ultimately went nowhere.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.
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