Mayor Donna Deegan of Jacksonville flexed her veto power against a hot-button immigration ordinance yesterday, asserting her stance against a legislative push that aimed to restrict city grant funding to undocumented immigrants. The failed override attempt by Jacksonville City Council members, resulting in an 8-7 vote, fell short of the required two-thirds majority, as reported by First Coast News.
Advocates of the bill claimed it was designed to ensure fiscal responsibility and legal compliance in the distribution of federal funds, but Deegan criticized the ordinance for stepping out of local government’s purview and into territory she believes is not their jurisdiction. "Immigration is the domain of the federal government, not the local government," Deegan stated during a news conference, as News4Jax reported.
This legislative tussle comes on the heels of the bill's original passage by the city council in an 11-7 vote earlier this month. The proposed legislation dictated that the mayor's office must submit a detailed report by June 30, tracking how federal money is used and compliance with anti-discrimination laws. Deegan blasted the bill as a mechanism that "stokes fear and casts a shadow over all immigrants" living in Jacksonville, not just the undocumented, during her yesterday's announcement, according to First Coast News.
Opposition to the measure was not isolated to the mayor. Councilman Matt Carlucci, a critic of the bill, lauded Deegan’s action, and was quoted in a First Coast News article saying, "At today’s press conference, Mayor Deegan took those pushing this misguided immigration bill straight to the church of the painful truth." He added that the bill doesn't address real issues but rather causes harm.
Councilman Rory Diamond, who introduced the bill, responded with a starkly different perspective. In a statement obtained by First Coast News, he accused Deegan of leading Jacksonville towards becoming a "sanctuary city," adding, "Mayor Donna Deagan is making Jacksonville a sanctuary city under our noses." Deegan has refuted the sanctuary city claim by emphasizing Florida's statewide ban on such policies.
The ordinance provoked considerable community response, with protesters gathering at City Hall and public commentary illuminating widespread concern. Amendments to the legislation did include exemptions for children, pregnant women, survivors of domestic violence, and active-duty military families in a gesture to soften its impact. Regardless, disagreement within the council chambers suggests the immigration debate in Jacksonville is far from settled.
