Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is standing firm against pressure from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to agree to an updated contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a recent clash, Demings declared, "I am not going to be bullied by the state attorney general," according to WESH. The dispute stems from Uthmeier's threat to potentially remove Demings and county commissioners due to what he considers a "sanctuary policy."
In response to a letter sent by Uthmeier on Tuesday addressing every Orange County commissioner, Demings, leaning on four decades of law enforcement experience, said, "I find it somewhat ironic that the 37-year-old attorney general is attacking me personally, attacking our board," as WESH reported. Uthmeier hit back during a press conference, stating, "I know the mayor said some disparaging things about me, that’s all fine and good. My response is look at the law."
The disagreement continues over the 287(g) agreement, which the Orange County commission adopted, a decision allowing county jail staff to detain individuals based on their immigration status. However, Mayor Demings refuses to readily sign off on the addendum proposed by Uthmeier aimed at giving corrections officers the power to transport inmates to other facilities.
Amidst this local-government standoff, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also chimed in, suggesting he's prepared to enforce compliance with state laws concerning ICE cooperation. "We've made it very clear this is not a policy debate at this point the policy debate was at the beginning of the year when I called the special session. Our law in Florida is that you have to do your best maximum efforts to assist with immigration enforcement," DeSantis stated, according to WESH. Demings and the Orange County commissioners are slated to discuss the issue at their next meeting, set for Tuesday, August 5.
Mayor Demings has also countered claims of Orange County being a sanctuary county. "So, the threat of removing us from office for doing our jobs and doing what we were supposed to. It is misplaced," he stated, as per WFTV. The mayor's refusal to bend under state pressure underscores the ongoing tension between local autonomy and state mandates regarding immigration enforcement collaboration in Florida.
