Florida city criminalizes undocumented immigration in historic move to enforce Trump, DeSantis mission
The Brief
Jacksonville is in the spotlight as it has become the first city in Florida to pass an ordinance criminalizing undocumented immigration.
The ordinance, known as the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, was passed in a 12-5 vote by the City Council last week, and it was signed into law on Tuesday.
In 2024, 602 undocumented immigrants were detained in Duval County. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took custody of 334 for deportation, and the rest either served their time or were released on bail.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville is in the spotlight after it recently became the first city in Florida to pass an ordinance criminalizing undocumented immigration.
The ordinance, known as the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, was passed in a 12-5 vote by the City Council last week, and it was signed into law on Tuesday.
The historic move enforces the hard push for immigration enforcement in the last few months by President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
What we know
The new legislation will make it a local crime for undocumented immigrants to enter or reside in Jacksonville. First-time offenders face a mandatory 30-day jail sentence, while repeat offenders could receive up to 60 days in jail.
The bill also allocates resources to help the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) identify individuals without legal status.
One of the main resources listed in the bill was a request for 25 mobile fingerprint scanners for law enforcement. Jacksonville covers more than 800 square miles, and the bill allocates $76,000 for the additional fingerprint readers.
What they're saying
City Council Member Nick Howland touted the "public safety" benefits of the ordinance at the council meeting.
"We are the first city in the country to enact this kind of bill," Howland told FOX News. "We're standing with our president, with our governor, with our state legislature to secure our borders, to reverse the Biden wave of illegal immigration, and to keep our streets and our neighborhoods safe."
Howland said there are two main parts of the bill.
"The first is what we've already discussed; it criminalizes entering or residing in Duval County if you are an illegal immigrant," he said. "The second part focuses on determining whether someone is in the country illegally. … This is, at the end of the day, a public safety bill. This is keeping people off the streets that would otherwise endanger our community. And we need to know when someone is legal or illegal and the fingerprint readers help."
Howland said even if there are already laws on the books, the new bill adds additional support and flexibility for local police, which he believes makes it worthwhile.
"There's nothing redundant about giving police another tool in their toolbox to ensure we have safe streets and neighborhoods," he said.
Howland said the new ordinance goes a step further than state and federal laws, making it a local offense to enter or reside within Jacksonville as an undocumented immigrant. It gives Jacksonville authorities more power to enforce immigration violations locally, he said.
"This allows the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to use the new law to detain individuals a bit longer, long enough to potentially turn them over to ICE," he said.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the department has seen firsthand the consequences of "failed border policies on public safety."
"The Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act provides our agency with additional tools and resources to help address those threats and ensure that offenders are held accountable," he told FOX News. "Furthermore, it sends a clear message that Jacksonville will not be a sanctuary for criminals who enter our country illegally."
The other side
While proponents of the law, such as Howland, have boasted about its potential impact on public safety, others have criticized it for its redundancy and the implementation of "stop and frisk" policies.
"It has always been my position that we will provide the equipment and resources they need," Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news conference. "So, they will receive the funding for the 25 fingerprint scanners that have been requested. I wish that alone had been all 2025-147 (the ordinance) was. But, it's not. Instead, it includes language that is hurtful and performative but not substantive. There is nothing in this bill that isn't already required by federal or state law. And, in fact, the state law already carries a harsher penalty. So, why would JSO need to arrest someone under a new local ordinance when they already have a stronger state law?"
Deegan noted the city has had an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2008, and sanctuary cities have been banned in the Sunshine State since 2019.
"Any suggestion to the contrary is intentionally misleading," she said. "On top of it being redundant, this bill puts our local government in a lane where it doesn't belong. Courts have repeatedly ruled that immigration enforcement is a function of the federal government."
By the numbers
According to reports, in 2024, 602 undocumented immigrants were detained in Duval County. ICE took custody of 334 for deportation, according to the legislation, written by City Council Member Kevin Carrico. The rest either served their time or were released on bail.
Among those 334 deportation cases, there were 94 charges for battery, 140 for DUI, as well as cases involving murder and sexual assault.
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This story was written based on information shared by FOX News.
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