A line of residents and other interested parties waited in anticipation to enter the Fort Myers City Council chambers Friday afternoon for a special meeting concerning proposal 287 (g).
The anticipation was wrought by Monday's city council vote on 287 (g) that failed in a 3-3 deadlock.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): "The 287(g) program allows ICE — through the delegation of specified immigration officer duties — to enhance collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our nation’s communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws."
All seven Fort Myers council members showed up at the special meeting ready to listen to more than 40 residents voicing concerns. The vast majority of them were opposed to the agenda item.
Here’s attendee Stephanie House: “You have to think about the whole city of Fort Myers, and all the things that come with it. It's not going to be just today; it's going to be the future of Fort Myers and the future of the police department.”
After all the comments, City Attorney Grant Alley took to the podium to clarify questions after several council members claimed they weren’t properly informed about the full implications of what they were considering.
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Councilwoman Terolyn Watson, who previously voted against 287(g) , explained her vote:
“The reason I voted the way I voted; it was lack of information, lack of information from my city attorney, lack of information from what role the police department's [going to] play in this.”
Congressman Byron Donalds, Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier all commented on Fort Myers council's Monday decision, the attorney general also issued a letter to Fort Myers.
At the podium, Alley addressed Uthmeier’s letter:
“In that attorney general opinion letter, he reasons that by failing to adopt the agreement, we created an implicit sanctuary policy and sanctuary policies are prohibited in the statute".
While there is no official definition of what constitutes a “sanctuary city”, according to the organization Global Refuge, it’s a policy that limits the extent to which a local/state government will share information with federal immigration law officers. There is currently no federal punishment for a municipality becoming a "sanctuary city".
Councilman Burson asked Alley directly if he believes the council should “do what’s been asked of them.”
Here’s Alley’s response: “Law enforcement has brought this forward as a tool; I think that you should support the agreement and the cooperation.”
Despite the overwhelming opposition expressed during public comment, the council voted unanimously to pass the bill. As the meeting adjourned, stunned opponents filed out while supporters like Henry Jackson expressed relief.
“It was a lot of tension, and a lot of biased people. They're biased against the law of the land. We have laws in this country, [and] in this state to abide by.”
Margret Vincent came with a few friends and left with a few disappointments.
“The people overwhelmingly spoke, for them to vote 'no' on this. I mean, it was overwhelming. Stand up, have a spine, listen to the people. Do the right thing. This is enough. You know, you got to stop somewhere.”
The unanimous decision raises questions about the impact of public testimony and leaves many wondering what comes next for the City of Fort Myers?
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