ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared on Thursday that his administration possesses various measures, such as the suspension of officials, to ensure that local governments cooperate with federal immigration authorities in detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants.
This statement was made shortly after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier cautioned Fort Myers city officials that not approving an immigration-related agreement with federal authorities might have significant ramifications.
During an immigration forum at New College in Sarasota alongside Tom Homan, the former border chief under the Trump administration, DeSantis stated, “If these local governments are not part of the solution, we’ve got a lot of tools, including suspension from office, that we can do now. We’ve been doing a lot in Florida, but you’re going to see much more happen over the next few weeks and months.”
Earlier this week, the Fort Myers City Council did not pass an agreement that would have facilitated U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in training local law enforcement to interrogate detained immigrants, potentially leading to their deportation. Several council members voiced concerns that such an agreement might foster racial profiling and adversely affect the community. Immigrant advocates argue that these arrangements pressurize local law enforcement into participating in immigration enforcement.
On Tuesday, Uthmeier sent a communication to Fort Myers, highlighting that the city might be breaching state legislation that bans “sanctuary cities,” which are municipalities known to limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. “Sanctuary policies are not tolerated or lawful in Florida,” Uthmeier stated, urging immediate remedial actions.
A spokesperson for the city did not provide an immediate response to an email inquiry regarding the matter.
DeSantis has previously removed local officials he disagreed with, a move critics claim is driven by political motives. Earlier this decade, DeSantis ousted Monique Worrell, a Democratic state prosecutor in the Orlando area, arguing she failed to prosecute juvenile crimes and enforce mandatory minimum sentences for gun offenses. Worrell, contesting the allegations, was reelected the following year.
Another Democratic state prosecutor, Andrew Warren, based in the Tampa area, faced removal by DeSantis due to his declarations against prosecuting abortion-related offenses and certain low-level crimes. Warren’s efforts to regain his position last year were unsuccessful.
In recent weeks, DeSantis announced that numerous Florida law enforcement agencies have entered into agreements with ICE to interrogate, arrest, detain immigrants suspected of being unlawfully present, and transfer them to federal authorities.