MELBOURNE, Fla. – Indian Harbour Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Melbourne are the latest cities to agree to have their police officers train with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for all local governments to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The three Central Florida cities each held meetings Tuesday night and discussed without debate how to comply with the new state laws.
The solution was to each sign an agreement with ICE under its 287(g) program. According to Indian Harbour Beach city documents, this agreement allows its officers to complete a free 40-hour virtual training course to become certified to perform some immigration enforcement duties.
For example, officers will be able to check if a person they encounter is also wanted by ICE. Those officers will also be allowed to transport that person to an immigration detention center, according to city documents.
However, Indian Harbour Beach police Chief David Butler said his officers may not even be able to transport anyone to those centers. The closest Immigration Detention Center is in Orange County, he said, adding it is full.
“If there is no place for them then we can’t hold them,” Butler said. “I know the sheriff is working on some things to help assist with that.”
Instead, officers will transport the person to the county jail if they are being charged with state crimes, Butler said.
Meanwhile, some advocates have criticized the 287(g) program, arguing that it does not work and it is used to target people based on race.
Adriana Rivera, the communications director for the Florida Immigration Coalition, previously told News 6 cities and counties should reconsider signing agreements with ICE.
“In 2012, it led to widespread racial profiling, and they had to basically shut it down because they were infringing on the rights of people, including many U.S. citizens who were racially profiled,” Rivera said. “We’re seeing people who have no police backgrounds, people who even have a legal status in the country, being swept up by this hysteria that we’re living under.”
All in all, the three cities are not the only ones having their officers train with ICE. Others across the state have signed similar agreements, such as Ocoee, Satellite Beach and Fort Myers.
[READ ON: Orange County leaders OK ICE agreement, but not without pushback]
