City Votes to Keep ICE Agreement

The Tallahassee City Commission voted 3-2 on Wednesday, October 22, against ending the city’s 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

During the meeting, Mayor John Dailey, and Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson, voted against a move to rescind Tallahassee’s agreement with ICE. Commissioner Jack Porter spoke strongly against that decision.

“I love Tallahassee, but I’m truly ashamed of our city right now and our complicity in our president and governor’s unconstitutional, immoral and dangerous agendas,” she said.

Back in August, a motion by City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow requesting the city attorney to provide information on the steps required to challenge the legality of agreements between the city and ICE passed unanimously.

During that city commission meeting, TPD Chief Revell told the commissioners that one officer has completed training related to inputting data related to illegal immigrants that are arrested. Revell noted TPD officers do not seek to determine the immigration status during traffic stops and do not participate in immigration enforcement actions.

Matlow’s motion also included a request for information on the status of a current lawsuit in South Miami related to 287 (g) agreements and to determine if there are ways for the city to participate in that lawsuit.

The South Miami lawsuit was seeking a ruling that the city is not obligated to enter a 287(g) agreement and that it would not be considered a sanctuary city — a designation that carries penalties — if it does not enter such an agreement. A judge recently threw out the lawsuit.

Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier have warned cities against leaving or not entering agreements to work with federal immigration officers—saying individual commissioners could face suspension.

Most Florida cities have not inked such agreements, and argue they are not required to.

Florida law specifies that sheriff’s offices and jails must enter agreements to work with federal immigration officers. Cities aren’t mentioned, but DeSantis says commissioners could be punished under a different law that bans so-called sanctuary cities.

About 40 speakers, including resident Juniper Curtis, asked commissioners to stand up to DeSantis’ threats and fight them in court.

“History will look on as cowards will look on, as failures will look on as the people who stood by, as immigrants were rounded up, as immigrants were attacked,” Curtis said.