Immigrant advocates speak out against controversial 287(g) agreements in Florida

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Dozens of police departments across Florida, including those in the Tampa Bay Area, have signed on to a federal program to help find and arrest undocumented immigrants- and immigration advocates are speaking out against the program.

All county jails in the state are involved with the controversial 287(g) federal program.

It allows state and local authorities more power on behalf of ICE to enforce federal immigration laws.   

For example, local officers can process immigrants for deportation once they are in jail. 

But on a call Tuesday, hosted by the Florida Immigrant Coalition, immigrant advocates spoke out against the program.

Tessa Petit is the executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

She said the program will erode trust in the immigrant community. 

“When local police act like ICE, entire communities go silent. People stop calling 911, they stop reporting crimes, they pull their children out of school, they pull they’re children out of different programs,” Petit said.

Phil Stoddard is the former mayor of South Miami. The City is suing Governor Ron DeSantis to ask if it needs to join the program. 

“Anytime you have this law enforcement connection with ICE, in my experience, abuses happen,” Stoddard said.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition says 287 g threatens public safety and community trust. 

In 2011 and 2012, separate DOJ investigations found racial profiling in the program. 

At a February press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called racial profiling fears “total BS.”