Brevard County arrests 1st person under Florida’s new immigration law: officials
First person arrested under Florida’s immigration law
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has announced that it recently arrested the first person under Florida’s new immigration law. Law enforcement agencies have confirmed the man is Felipe Hernandez-Chavarin, 38, who was arrested for trespassing, as well as for re-entering the U.S. illegally.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has announced that it recently arrested the first person under Florida’s new immigration law.
Law enforcement agencies have confirmed the man is Felipe Hernandez-Chavarin, 38, who was arrested for trespassing, as well as for re-entering the U.S. illegally.
Records show that Hernandez-Chavarin is being held in the Brevard County jail with no bond.
What is Florida’s new immigration law?
The backstory:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the new immigration bill into law last month.
The law makes it a state-level crime for people to enter or re-enter the United States illegally. In the past, federal agencies handled the enforcement of immigration laws.
RELATED: DeSantis: Florida now has 'toughest' immigration enforcement laws in the United States
What led to the arrest of Felipe Hernandez-Chavarin?
What we know:
Official arrest reports show that a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer saw Hernandez-Chavarin enter a locked gate with a "no trespassing" sign next to it on Tuesday at Willowbrook Farms in Palm Bay.
The officer said Hernandez-Chavarin was there to catch fish with a net in the farm’s canals.
After being arrested, deputies said they determined that Hernandez-Chavarin was previously deported by U.S. Border Patrol in 2019 after entering illegally from Mexico.
Felipe Hernandez-Chavarin, 38, is the first person to be arrested under Florida’s new immigration law. (Credit: Brevard County Jail)
What they're saying:
The new law makes it a misdemeanor to enter or even try to get into Florida after coming to the country illegally; and anyone who’s deported and comes back again can be hit with a third-degree felony. Those charges and punishments worsen if people continue coming back.
"We're seeing sometimes six to seven a week," said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. "So it's very commonplace that we're seeing it. The problem was, before we had these extra tools, and before we had the partnership with Customs and Homeland Security, we couldn't do anything about it."
The new Florida statute comes with a mandatory minimum of a year and one day, meaning those convicted can be sentenced to serve their time in prison, rather than jail.
"My county jail has a max capacity of 1,700. We usually operate around 82%, 82 to 84%," Sheriff Ivey explained. "So I think the design is actually to put them where there's additional bed space. But the bigger picture of that, it's also designed to hold them so that the federal rules and policies can take place."
Gov. DeSantis praised the law enforcement agencies who helped contribute to the arrest in a post on his X account.
"Great job enforcing our recently enacted legislation to fight illegal immigration," he said in the post.
The state Board of Immigration Enforcement also posted on X to announce the news of the arrest, calling it "one for the books."
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
- Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
- Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
- Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
- FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered in previous reporting, as well as from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in a press release on March 12, 2025, and from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Board of Immigration Enforcement on X.