A federal judge has blocked part of a Florida law that required local police to cross state lines to help federal immigration authorities, but left in place a provision where the officers would have to detain illegal immigrants until the feds come to collect them.
Following the judge’s decision, the law that enters into force on Oct. 1 stipulates that Florida police officers must cooperate with federal agencies and hold detainees in jail for an extra two days until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) picks up the suspects and takes them to a federal detention center.
‘Baffled’
The decision was criticized by South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, a plaintiff in legal proceedings that sought an injunction over what the City of South Miami and immigrant advocacy groups called an unconstitutional immigration law.“I’m a little baffled by it. … It’s ridiculous,” Stoddard said, according to the Herald. “It’s putting immigration enforcement above public safety.”
In June, Stoddard and the groups filed the case against Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, after the signing of the federal immigration enforcement bill. An argument was that forcing local law enforcement to engage in federal immigration actions would divert municipal policing resources and discourage reporting of crime in immigrant communities.
‘Great Strides in Protecting the Public’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, led efforts to get SB 168 passed. The bill passed the House in a 69-47 vote on April 24, and the Senate in a 22-18 vote on April 26.The law contains enforcement provisions that allow elected officials to be removed from office if they refuse to comply.
“This is about public safety, not about politics,” DeSantis said. “We must do everything within our power, and use all the tools available to us, to ensure that our communities are safe.”
ICE Report on Dangers of Sanctuary City Policies
Earlier, ICE released its first “Declined Detainer” report, highlighting the dangers posed when sanctuary cities block efforts by federal immigration authorities to remove an illegal immigrant from the country.The report highlights numerous cases in which law enforcement agencies failed to honor ICE detainers after arresting illegal immigrants, who then, after being released, later committed new crimes. Arrests of illegal immigrants included cases of drug possession, murder, burglary, and rape.
“Every day, ICE places detainers on individuals who the agency has probable cause to believe are aliens who are removable from the United States and are currently in federal, state, and local law enforcement agency custody,” the report says.
ICE said they place detainers on certain individuals they believe are “removable aliens in federal, state, and local law enforcement agency custody.”
Trump on Sanctuary Cities
President Donald Trump has been an outspoken critic of sanctuary cities. He has said that he was considering a plan to transport illegal immigrants who are apprehended after illegally crossing the southwest border exclusively to sanctuary cities.“The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy—so this should make them very happy!”