City to Review ICE Agreement with Tallahassee Police Department August 20th

Editor’s Note: A protest is planned prior to the meeting. Florida ACLU is coordinating those who wish to speak out during the meeting. City Commission meeting agendas are available online. You can submit comments in advance all City Commissioners at once on TalGov. Learn more about 287g agreements. Information about participating in City Commission meetings is at the end of this article.

At their next meeting, the Tallahassee City Commission will review information about the agreement between the federal government and the Tallahassee Police Department related to the enforcement of immigration laws.

A recent immigration enforcement action on Gaines Street has reignited political tensions in Tallahassee over the city’s agreement with federal immigration authorities. At the center of the controversy is the city’s signing of a 287(g) agreement—a partnership between local law enforcement and ICE—which was executed by the city manager and police chief without City Commission approval. The agreement allows one Tallahassee Police Department officer to assist with immigration-related arrests, particularly violent offenders.

Critics, including Commissioner Jack Porter, object to the lack of transparency and want clarity on the city’s role in enforcing federal immigration laws. Porter is also interested in knowing if signing the agreement is legally required.

In response, Porter, along with Commissioner Jeremy Matlow and Mayor John Dailey, voted 3–2 vote to bring the agreement back for further discussion. This unusual coalition drew attention at the latest commission meeting, where activists from local groups voiced strong opposition to TPD’s cooperation with ICE.

Supporters of the policy argue it targets violent criminals, not workers, while critics counter that the optics of arresting undocumented laborers without penalizing the businesses that hire them undermines fairness. The discussion has also sparked broader frustration over Florida’s failure to address contractor accountability and immigration loopholes.

Attending Tallahassee City Commission Meetings

Citizens wishing to provide input may provide comments in person at the meeting.

Please refer to meeting agenda for details regarding deadlines and registration information.

Each speaker’s comments shall be limited to 3 minutes. If the topic a speaker wishes to address is a matter set for public hearing, the speaker must speak during the scheduled public hearing; a speaker is not afforded two opportunities to comment on matters set for public hearing. Speakers on other topics will be heard at the end of the meeting, and likewise will be called in the order by which their speaker form was received by the Treasurer-Clerk during the meeting. Speaker forms are available in the support column at the entryway to the City Commission Chambers

The meetings will stream live on the City’s government-access television channel, WCOT (Comcast and CenturyLink channel 13), as well as online at Talgov.com, Facebook.com/CityofTLH and Twitter.com/CityofTLH. City Commission meetings are replayed the following Thursday at noon and 7:30 pm, and the following Saturday and Sunday at 4 pm. Call the Department of Communications at 850-891-8533 for more information.

Anyone needing assistance with participating should contact the City Treasurer-Clerk’s Office during business hours at 850-891-8130.