In Fort Myers, Florida, city officials have unanimously agreed to a memorandum that allows local authorities to receive training from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and assist with deportations. This recent decision follows a previous vote earlier in the week that resulted in threats from state officials to suspend those who did not comply.
The decision was reached after a special meeting that lasted three hours, featuring an initial two hours of public comments. Many speakers voiced their concerns over the memorandum, predominantly expressing fears about potential racial profiling as a resultant issue. However, during the public commentary, some were interrupted by the presiding officer for discussing the council’s earlier vote or for showing gratitude to council members who originally opposed the memorandum. These points were deemed outside the meeting’s focus.
During the meeting, councilmembers raised questions to Fort Myers Deputy Police Chief Victor Medico and City Attorney Grant Alley, who were criticized for leaving several questions unanswered prior to the meeting, as mentioned by Councilmember Darla Bonk. Bonk, who had initially voted against the agreement, expressed deep concern about the legal implications, indicating that the vote had placed councilmembers in a position outside their jurisdiction, as highlighted by a state representative at the beginning of the meeting.
This policy reversal occurred a day after Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned the city council that non-approval of the immigration agreement could lead to severe consequences, including suspension from their positions. Earlier in the week, State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into the councilmembers who rejected the agreement, alleging the city was creating an unauthorized sanctuary policy.
Councilmember Diana Giraldo raised concerns about the memorandum, highlighting the fear that it could escalate racial profiling by assigning specific powers to police officers. According to the memorandum, these powers include the capacity to arrest immigrants without legal status without a warrant and to interrogate individuals suspected of being immigrants. Giraldo asserted that the city has already collaborated with federal immigration agents for several years, opposing any claims portraying Fort Myers as a sanctuary city.
On being queried, Alley admitted to ambiguity concerning any legal violation by the council’s actions and remarked that, customarily, seeking the attorney general’s advice would be the next step. In this circumstance, the attorney general advised the councilmembers to endorse the agreement. “The attorney general is not a judicial entity, but as the top law authority, they provide opinions. However, this was not an opinion but instead an imperative to comply with state immigration laws,” Alley explained.
In Uthmeier’s address, he referenced legislation enacted by Florida lawmakers earlier this year, underscoring provisions that necessitate both state and local law enforcement along with supervising bodies to exercise “best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law.”