PHOTO VIA ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY L. DEMINGS FACEBOOK PAGE
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has just issued an ultimatum to Mayor Jerry Demings and the Orange County Board of Commissioners: approve a transport amendment to the county’s ICE agreement or face potential removal from office by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The statement is in response to a proposed addendum to the county’s 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The proposed modification would authorize Orange County corrections officers to transport undocumented immigrants, that are being detained in local jails, to other ICE-approved facilities such as the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades.
Mayor Demings has refused to sign the amendment, arguing that transportation of detainees is not within the mandate or capacity of county correctional staff, who, he says, are responsible only for custodial care. Demings contends the task should be handled by federal authorities and warns it would strain local resources and compromise jail safety.
In a letter shared publicly, Uthmeier warned county leaders that rejecting the addendum constitutes a violation of Florida’s prohibition on sanctuary policies, mandating that local law enforcement must use “best efforts” to assist federal immigration enforcement. He threatened civil and criminal penalties, including removal from office, if they refused to comply.
Demings called out the attorney general’s actions as political coercion, calling the interpretation of law “unjust,” and emphasized that the county has already signed a 287(g) agreement that grants warrant-enforcing authority but does not compel transport duties. He emphasized the unfair burden on already understaffed local jails and the potential safety risks involved.
The move comes amid broader state-level pressure: several other Central Florida counties, including Marion, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia, have already signed similar amendments giving corrections officers the transport authority.
In response to the controversy, Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson and local immigrant rights advocates have called for reconsidering the county’s Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) with the U.S. Marshals Service, which has implicated Orange County in long-term detention of ICE detainees at local expense. Critics say compensation does not cover costs and have pressed for a framework that rescinds enforcement obligations
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is expected to address both the AG’s letter and the DOGE audit regarding county finances, during their upcoming meeting scheduled for August 5, 2025.
