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City Commission Reverses Decision On ICE Cooperation Following Pressure From State Attorney General | JP

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The Key West City Commission voted 4-2 to reverse its prior decision to void an agreement with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to cooperate with President Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

The vote follows pressure from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who threatened the city with potential legal action.

“Great to see the City of Key West heeding our warning and reversing course by reinstating their participation in ICE’s 287(g) program,” Uthmeier said.

“Florida requires cities to commit best efforts to help the Trump administration enforce immigration law, and Floridians expect nothing less!” he added.

More info from Florida’s Voice:

The commission’s decision effectively reinstates the local police department’s formal partnership with ICE, a partnership that commissioners had voted 6-1 to nullify just over a week ago.

The resolution approved Tuesday explicitly states that the prior vote to void the 287(g) agreement was identified as a violation of Florida law— specifically Section 908.103, Florida Statutes—which prohibits sanctuary policies.

Uthmeier had immediately criticized Key West’s June 30 vote, stating that the city would be “hearing from [his] office very soon.”

“Not in Florida. We will ensure law and order and be a force multiplier for ICE’s enforcement of immigration laws. I hope Key West chooses the easy way, not the hard way,” Uthmeier said.

The resolution acknowledges the attorney general’s communication, which stated that voiding the 287(g) agreement “has rendered Key West a sanctuary city, thereby impeding the enforcement of federal immigration laws and exposing the city to potential civil and criminal penalties.”

Miami Herald reports that over 100 people attended City Hall, with most asking the commissioners to stick with their original decision.

Check out some of the footage:

Miami Herald noted:

Local musicians Jillian Todd and Jesse Wagner sang the Woody Guthrie song, “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” a protest song Guthrie wrote about a 1948 plane crash that killed almost 30 migrant farm workers on a deportation flight from California to Mexico.

Lucy Hawk read a letter on behalf of 133 residents of Bahama Village, which has a large Haitian migrant community, pleading with commissioners to reject the 287(g) agreement.

“These people are very proud of what you did last week, and we hope you honor that,” Hawk said.

Last Tuesday, the commission voted 6-1 to void the agreement, which allows police officers to stop, question and detain undocumented immigrants, arguing it was not enforceable because it was approved in March by the police chief and not the city manager by way of elected officials.

However, following pressure from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier — including threats to remove elected and unelected officials from office — three of the six commissioners, as well as Key West Mayor Danise Henriquez, voted to stay in the agreement.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.





Source
Las Vegas News Magazine

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