Tallahassee Commission to Take “Hard Look” at 287g Agreement

Tallahassee city commissioners voted unanimously to take a hard look at the 287(g) illegal immigration assistance agreement between the Tallahassee Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The “informational item” – championed by Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who recently announced his mayor campaign – would look into current litigation in South Miami that questions whether Florida cities and towns are required to enter immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. City staff would also consider the ramifications of Tallahassee piggybacking onto the lawsuit.

But there was deep concern from Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson over potential retaliation from Governor Ron DeSantis, who has ousted public officials who he says are thwarting Florida law.

The agreement, according to the ICE website, allows “ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations to partner with state and local law enforcement to identify and remove criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the U.S..”

Several speakers denounced the agreement and said they could no longer trust in local law enforcement. Others spoke on rising fears in the community following an immigration raid in Collegetown in May. Still others expressed disgust with the city for not putting the topic on the Aug. 20 agenda for a public discussion.

“We’ve seen U.S. citizens being stopped by law enforcement and unlawfully detained on the basis of their perceived ethnicity,” said Alejandro Garcia. “We’ve seen the opening of a massive detention camp in the Everglades and now a second facility being planned in Baker, all at enourmous cost to the taxpayer and with no other aim, it seems, except to deny these people being held their with adequate access to legal counsel.”

To kick off the conversation sparked by public speakers, Mayor John Dailey expressed his stance on the matter: “I will tell you I stand firmly, firmly against violations of basic human rights whether they’re Tallahassee citizens, citizens of the state of Florida, the United States. I too look at what’s going on across the country and I am very deeply disturbed of the videos that I’m seeing in other communities.”

Dailey asked TPD Chief Lawrence Revell to come to the podium to explain what it is local law enforcement does in the terms of the agreement, but comments from the audience such as “shame” and loud boos caused the mayor to shut down the discussion as he passed the gavel to Williams-Cox to address other topics.

After a short break, the board reconvened for public hearings and Dailey continued the paused conversation.

According to Revell, one officer has completed the training on immigration policies but has hit some hiccups in the credentialing process.

“(Staff) ran into some problems on the federal side, not our side. So as I understand, he is not credentialed… but we have complied with the training,” Revell said. He continued saying there is no set amount of officers needed to partake in the training but of the 396 within TPD, they selected only one officer.

Richardson expressed concern about the governor and attorney general’s threats toward commissioners and elected officials who sought to thwart the agreement.

“There was some (speakers) who indicated that we should state a position or take a position and if don’t do that we would be afraid of being removed from office,” Richardson said.

“I’m not going to speak for anyone else other than Curtis Richardson. It would not be in my best interest to put myself in a position to potentially be removed from office. The residents, the voters of this community that elected me to office, elected me to address all the issues facing our community,” he continued. “If put in that position, having to defend myself and pay those legal costs … I am not willing to do that.”

Williams-Cox added that the community would not be served if sitting commissioners were ousted by the governor and replaced by “folks who he knows will do what it is he wants to have done.”

“It’s not that I’m scared, what it is is that you’ve got to be the adult in the room and understand that there are other things that we are responsible for … other people are counting on us as well,”

Matlow took a more aggressive stance on the issue in comparison: “I want to say we are not legally required to enter the 287(g) agreement. It’s not in the legislation and it hasn’t been affirmed by the court of law. I understand the governor and the attorney general have issued threats and made an opinion, but we’re not a nation of kings, presidents nor governors are not kings.”

“In a moment in time when all across our community people our terrified, to not at least stand up and say let’s ask a judge to affirm what Ron DeSantis is saying is accurate isn’t the leadership we need to see in a city like Tallahassee.”

Following the unanimous vote, Commissioner Jack Porter, who was attending online, urged her colleagues to pass a resolution similar to one passed by Miami Beach condemning the “dehumanizing and violent rhetoric and targeting” of immigrants.

“It’s for the residents of Tallahassee to know where we stand on the issue,” Porter said.

Dailey said he would need to study the Miami Beach resolution, adding that the commission had already made it clear during the meeting where it stood on the policies of the Trump administration.

The vote ended in a familiar 3-2 split, with Dailey, Williams-Cox and Richardson against creating a resolution.

To contact City Commissioners about this issue:

• Mayor John E. Dailey, Seat 4 – (contact)
• Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox, Seat 5 – (contact)
• Commissioner Jacqueline “Jack” Porter, Seat 1 – (contact)
• Commissioner Curtis Richardson, Seat 2 – (contact)
• Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, Seat 3 – (contact)
• Contact All Commissioners at Once