Miami becomes latest major city in Florida to enter into an ICE agreement

Miami’s city commissioners voted Tuesday to enter into an agreement with the federal government authorizing local police to act as immigration enforcement officials.

The 3-2 vote followed that of other major Democratic cities in the state, such as Orlando and Jacksonville, which have already agreed to collaborate with federal officials in street-level immigration enforcement operations.

However, the decision came with heavy scrutiny from the public, with hundreds lining up outside under the scorching sun to get a chance to express their disapproval during the several hours of public comment.

“I feel the pain of our country; I feel the pain of my residents afraid to leave their homes, afraid to get medical attention for their children, and I don’t want to be a part of that,” said Christine King, chairwoman of the Miami Board of Commissioners. “I think we are on the wrong side if we enter into this agreement.”

The enactment of the 287(g) Task Force Model agreement, as the partnership is officially known, has been a significant aspect of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to promote the state as a leader in immigration enforcement. The governor persistently touts the hundreds of agreements that cities, state agencies, and even universities have signed up for.

But participation hasn’t all been voluntary. Attorney General James Uthmeier warned the Fort Myers commission and the Broward County sheriff that they could be removed from office after pushing back against the agreements.

City Attorney George Wysong and Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales brought up Uthmeier’s warnings during the meeting on Tuesday, saying that the city could face a suit from the state’s chief legal officer for rejecting the agreement.

Even the commissioners who voted in favor of the agreement with ICE didn’t do so gleefully. District 3 Commissioner Joe Carrollo, who represents Little Havana, said the city had to take the issue head-on.

“This is not an easy decision for me at all, but I’ve also heard what our police chief, what our attorney have said, and each of us is going to have to vote our conscience,” he said.

An outstanding lawsuit from the City of South Miami could provide clarity on whether state law requires cities to enter into the agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The overwhelming majority of the people speaking about the 287(g) agreement opposed it because they said it eroded trust in police in a city built by immigrants escaping dictatorships.

Karla De Anda, a community advocate who witnessed how a Cuban man tried to strangle himself after federal officials arrested him in Miami’s immigration court, said victims of crimes are too afraid to call the police for help.

“Every day we have received calls from domestic workers that have suffered mistreatment, sexual harassment, and even labor trafficking,” she said.

Others trying to sway commissioners against the agreement used their own experiences as immigrants or children of immigrants to make their points. Nick Mayor said the city had once welcomed his family with open arms.

“We need to have trust in our community, and this is eroding that right now before a single vote has been cast,” he said.