Former Sanctuary Cities Orlando and Doral Link Their Police Forces to ICE Making Florida The Toughest State on Immigration

Orlando and Doral, two of Florida's cities with the highest Hispanic populations, are joining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'s controversial 287(g) program, which authorizes local law enforcement to question individuals about their immigration status and detain those suspected of being in the country without authorization.

The cities' entry into the program comes after an executive order issued in February by Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. As the third state with the highest Latino population in the country, Florida currently is the only state to implement 287(g) statewide.

Doral's decision to adopt the agreement has been met by criticism by human rights activists and neighbors, as well as many in the Venezuelan community in the U.S. More than 70% of the city's population are immigrants and 48% are of Venezuelan descent.

"I can't imagine the mistrust this is generating in the community," Adelys Ferro, director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, told The Latin Times.

The city council approved the partnership on Wednesday night. With President Donald Trump winning the city by a large margin in 2016 and 2024, the area remains a conservative stronghold in South Florida.

Doral's Councilman Rafael Pineyro acknowledged the move is controversial but defended it. "Miami-Dade County already signed the agreement," he told The Latin Times, adding that the sheriffs of all 67 of Florida's counties have done so.

"People don't stay in one city. In our case, they drive all around Miami. They may work in Broward (county). We're trying to protect everyone," he added.

Under continuous pressure

The city of Orlando, one of America's tourism magnets and with a Hispanic population of approximately 36%, approved the measure last week despite opposition from Mayor Buddy Dyer, and will begin training their police officers immediately.

In 2018, Orlando adopted a law called the Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from asking people not suspected of a crime about their immigration status. Earlier this week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened Dwyer with removal from office if the Trust Act remains in place, citing a 2019 law signed by Governor DeSantis banning "sanctuary cities."

Dyer has defended the Trust Act, stating that it "is not in conflict with the state laws," but stated that he will "comply with all federal and state laws..."

Orlando isn't the only city that has raised concerns. The Fort Myers city council unanimously voted against collaboration with ICE. However, Uthmeier intervened and got the council to rescind their vote.

Public universities like Florida International University in Miami and the University of Florida in Gainesville have also authorized their campus police to question and detain students based on their immigration status.

According to ICE, "The 287(g) Program enhances the safety and security of our nation's communities by allowing ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the U.S."