Orange County in the crosshairs

Politico

4 days ago

Good morning and welcome to Thursday.
Orange County is quickly becoming the epicenter of resistance against the Republican agenda in Tallahassee.
The latest pushback it got from the state came Tuesday as Florida Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER posted a letter to the county demanding officers help transport ICE detainees, warning otherwise the mayor and commissioners could be removed from office.
Orange County had already agreed to house detainees arrested by ICE at its jail so they could await court dates or deportation. It also signed an agreement allowing officers to conduct immigration enforcement.
But commissioners and Mayor JERRY DEMINGS decided not to sign the transportation agreement because they said their officers are already overwhelmed. A drive to the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility in the Everglades, for instance, is 240 miles each way. And county data show the number of people held in jail because of an ICE request went from 98 in June of last year to 222 this June. Demings said he wanted the county to negotiate reimbursements to help pay for those housing costs.
'What they're doing is making our community unsafe, making our jail unsafe, because then they're pulling people out — resources that we cannot afford to send somewhere else within our state,' Demings told reporters Wednesday following a ribbon-cutting event.
Demings also blasted Uthmeier for describing Orange County as a 'sanctuary city' and dismissed him as 'over-ambitious,' 'full of himself' and working for his 'political interests.'
'I spent more years on the streets of Florida, patrolling our streets as a law-enforcement officer than he's been alive, but he's attacking me,' said Demings, a former Orlando police chief.
On Wednesday, Gov. RON DESANTIS said during a press conference in Tampa that the immigration law the GOP-supermajority Legislature passed this year was clear about how local governments have to do as much as they can to help with immigration enforcement.
He added that he would be watching the case and if necessary would look at his constitutional authority and see whether elected officials were upholding the law. 'I think that I've shown that I'm willing to do that,' he said with regard to removal of elected officials, referring to how he previously suspended liberal prosecutors.
Area state lawmakers came to the county's defense. State Sen. CARLOS GUILLERMO SMITH (D-Orlando) said the removal of local elected officials 'would constitute a hostile right-wing takeover of local government with no historical precedent.' Rep. BRUCE ANTONE (D-Orlando) said he supported deportation of violent criminals but not having local officials 'be engaged in just helping to round up any and everybody.'
'That takes away from what they have to do every day,' he said. 'It concerns me when my constituents are calling me and they're being randomly stopped and asked about their citizenship status. That's creating a whole other layer of fear in the community.'
The immigration fight is just the latest battleground for the county. It's already facing a DOGE-like audit of its spending by the chief financial officer, and the state Commerce Department just determined the county's development plan is 'null and void.'
The various challenges 'give you an idea of what kind of full assault we are going through,' Orange County Commissioner NICOLE WILSON told Playbook in an interview. 'Everybody is on pins and needles about what's next.'
She added: 'The reality of the situation is that in an effort to try to comply with the federal administration's aggressive deportation quota, they will need complicit and compliant jurisdictions across the state.'
What happens next: The commission is meeting Aug. 5 to discuss Uthmeier's letter. Wilson said commissioners would likely sue if suspended.
Looking even beyond that: The ongoing clash is certain to be a test not just for Demings but candidates running for Orange County mayor.
One of the candidates, Orange County Clerk of Courts TIFFANY MOORE RUSSELL, said elected officials 'made their decision based on how to best manage county resources and the constituents who elected them.' Former Rep. STEPHANIE MURPHY said public safety should be a county's first priority but that the transport requirement was an 'unfunded mandate that risks diverting already strained public safety resources and undermining due process for residents of Orange County.' She added that she supported the commission working with the state and federal government to find a 'responsible path forward.'
— Andrew Atterbury contributed to this report.
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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
CENSUS REDO — DeSantis, maintaining that the last U.S. census was 'flawed,' said Wednesday that the Trump administration was considering whether to approve a new census before the end of the decade — a move that the Republican governor predicted could help Florida gain extra congressional seats.
DeSantis said he is already 'seriously' looking at asking the Florida Legislature to redraw the state's existing congressional map. Republicans already hold a 20-8 edge over Democrats.
— Gary Fineout
'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' GETS ANOTHER COURT HEARING — A federal judge Wednesday appeared to lean toward keeping an environmental challenge against the 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention facility in the Southern District of Florida after a state challenge arguing it should be moved elsewhere. The district judge, Kathleen Williams, didn't immediately make a decision or say when one would come.
The environmental groups say the state waited too long to contest the venue and pointed out the issue was raised only after Williams, who recently cited Uthmeier with contempt of court, took over the case.
But Jesse Panuccio, representing Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, said Wednesday that the 'judge shopping' argument was unfair and repeatedly pointed out that the property is in Collier County, which is outside the southern district.
One development did come out of the hearing: Williams said she would allow the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to join the environmental groups pressing the suit. She agreed with their arguments that the detention center would affect nearby tribal villages, a school, and cultural and ceremonial sites — as well as hunting and fishing capabilities.
— Kimberly Leonard, Bruce Ritchie and Josh Gerstein
— 'Florida releases heavily blacked out Alligator Alcatraz hurricane plan,' by Skyler Swisher of the Orlando Sentinel.
MANATEE RULING APPEAL — Florida officials this week asked a federal appeals court to overturn a district court ruling that blamed the state for more than 1,000 manatee deaths in 2021 in the Indian River Lagoon. District Judge CARLOS E. MENDOZA ordered the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to stop issuing permits for new septic tanks, apply for a federal endangered species takings permit and create a new manatee monitoring and feeding program.
DEP told the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals the order improperly holds the state rather than septic tank owners responsible for pollution. And DEP said a proposed federal rule change would restrict federal Endangered Species Act violations to actions taken to harm individual animals rather than conditions broadly affecting a species or its habitat. While DEP says it should prevail on many legal fronts, if the rule is finalized 'that would also be sufficient by itself to vacate and remand the judgment and preliminary injunction.' DEP also requested an expedited briefing schedule in the appeals court case.
— Bruce Ritchie
HEMP REGULATION — 'In a continued effort to crack down on the sale of hemp to minors, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is coming up with a new regulation,' reports Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix. 'This one will define the word 'cartoon,' and the agency will hear public testimony on the proposed new rule during a workshop in Tallahassee on Aug. 13.'
— 'Florida Attorney General vows to cut off law firms over diversity initiatives,' reports Gray Rohrer of USA Today Network — Florida.
— 'DeSantis, Florida education official warn unions: Act fast on teacher pay raises,' by James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat.
— 'Florida tourism facing test as Trump policies keep some visitors away,' by John Kennedy of USA Today Network — Florida.
PENINSULA AND BEYOND
— 'Orlando joins Florida's stadium boom with $420 million bond sale,' reports Bloomberg's Maxwell Adler.
— 'Tourism agency Visit Orlando spent $75K of taxpayer funds on lavish dinner in NYC, new audit finds,' reports McKenna Schueler of Orlando Weekly.
CAMPAIGN MODE
ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR MIAMI MAYOR? Far-right commentator LAURA LOOMER posted on X on Wednesday that she heard Rep. CARLOS GIMÉNEZ — formerly mayor of Miami-Dade County — was considering running for mayor of the City of Miami. The election's date is being challenged in the courts, but as of now it's set for this November, and candidates have as late as Sept. 20 to enter the race.
Gimenez clapped back on X, saying that Loomer didn't know what she was talking about. He also blasted her for pushing to keep Chevron operating in Venezuela. 'I stand with the Venezuelan people in their fight for freedom,' he said.
TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP
SANCTIONS ON JUDGE — The Treasury Department has sanctioned a Brazilian judge overseeing the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of organizing a coup — the latest Trump administration foray into the trial of one of President Donald Trump's ideological allies.
In a statement Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge overseeing the trial of Bolsonaro on charges he worked to overturn his 2022 election loss by organizing a military coup.
— POLITICO's Eric Bazail-Eimil
DATELINE D.C.
MORE PUSH ON EPSTEIN FILES — Senate Democrats are using an obscure federal law in an attempt to force President Donald Trump's Justice Department to hand over information related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that DOJ turn over the 'full and complete Epstein files.'
Democrats are invoking a rarely used provision that requires an executive branch agency to hand over requested information when it's requested by at least five members of the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
— POLITICO's Jordain Carney
TRANSITION TIME
— IVAN CASTRO is leaving the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Office and headed to be communications director for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections. Castro begins the new job Aug. 4.
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
BIRTHDAYS: Former Agriculture Commissioner and Rep. Adam Putnam ... Kristen Knapp, director of communications at Florida Health Care Association ... POLITICO's Bill Duryea … Dan McFaul of Ballard Partners … Tony Winton, editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent.