Activists gather outside Miami City Hall ahead of vote on ICE agreement
Dozens gathered outside Miami City Hall on Tuesday morning ahead of a vote by the Miami City Commission that would enter the city into an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE, known as a 287(g) agreement, that would deputize police in South Florida's largest city with immigration enforcement powers.
'We've gathered today to send a clear and urgent message: turning local police into immigration agents under 287(g) agreements is dangerous for Miami,' said Dariel Gomez, a statewide organizer with the ACLU of Florida. 'Miami is a city shaped by immigrants. We can see that right here.'
To date, Miami city commissioners have been cautious with their responses to questions on whether they intend to vote to enter the agreement — a decision that could have major impacts in a city where about 58% of residents are foreign born and over 70% are Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. With just under a half-million people, Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County and the second largest in Florida.
'We're not Los Angeles, we're not New York, we're not Dallas. Miami is Miami, a city where Spanish, Creole, English, various faith traditions all coexist on the same block,' said Senior Pastor Sherlain Stevens of the Ebenezer United Methodist Church, adding: 'Diversity is our superpower.'
The commission chambers were packed Tuesday morning, with a line of people waiting outside to give public comment.
Municipal and local police departments are not explicitly required to join 287(g) agreements, but Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier have argued that under the state's sanctuary law, they are mandated to do so.
Uthmeier threatened to punish Fort Myers City Council members earlier this year when they declined to enroll in the program. Still, most Miami-Dade cities, including Miami Beach and Miami Gardens, have yet to join, according to ICE's database for participating agencies.
Miami resident Natalia Menocal said Tuesday she doesn't want community members 'to fear making a quick trip to Publix or enjoying a day at the beach because they look or sound like an immigrant or are not carrying the proper paperwork.'
'287(g) would make it dangerous for anyone in Miami who 'looks like an immigrant' or has an accent to walk around without their papers,' Menocal said. ' ... That's not the side of history we want to be on.'
This story will be updated throughout the day.
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