In response to what it describes as a negative vote during a County Commission special meeting to re-examine the county’s ICE detainer policy, Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director at the Florida Immigrant Coalition, is livid.
Rodriguez called the vote a betrayal and said it set the precedent for a moral dilemna..
“Today, hundreds of people from diverse sectors filled the board of County Commission chambers beyond capacity to express deep concerns and disapproval of the Mayor’s proposal to cooperate with ICE detainers. Disregarding numerous constitutional questions and moral dilemma, testimony, prayer and song, with a majority vote of 9-to-3, Commissioners opted to betray immigrant families in exchange for the specter of future discretionary funding. Fearful of the designation of Sanctuary local leadership buckled under vague threats of federal funding withheld and threw our families under the bus,” she said.
She also threatened to file a lawsuit against the City Council.
“To be clear, immigrants who are arrested, regardless of their innocence or what they are accused of, will be turned over to ICE if there is a detainer. A lawsuit will follow and we will hold the Commissioners and Mayor accountable to their commitment to prevent police collaboration with federal enforcement agents. Additionally, we will fight to win civil citations instead of arrests for misdemeanors, including driving without a license.”
Immigrants have been up in arms ever since Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez’ issued a controversial immigration order directing county jails to comply with a new White House policy targeting sanctuary cities and jurisdictions.
