Orlando rallies against county's backtrack on ICE agreement

Orlando, FL – On August 2, around 30 community members held an emergency rally at the Orange County Commission chambers to demand the county vote against ratifying an updated agreement to its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The updated agreement represents another attack on immigrants in the county.

The mobilization was called for by Orlando Against Police Crimes, after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings caved in to threats from Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Protesters gathered near the busy downtown street and chanted “No camps, no hate, no ICE in our state!” while holding signs in support of immigrant rights before moving in front of the commission building for speeches.

Several organizations mobilized alongside Orlando Against Police Crimes, including Orlando 50501, Orlando for Peace, and Orlando 50501 Latinos. State Representative Anna Eskamani delivered a speech in solidarity.

“We aren’t going to let Ron DeSantis and his cronies bully our town into doing Donald Trump’s bidding. We aren’t going to allow our resources to be used to ship our brothers and sisters to the concentration camp in the Everglades. And we’ll keep fighting until all of these inhumane black sites are shut down for good,” said Cassia Laham, an organizer with Orlando Against Police Crimes and the event’s emcee.

Just a few weeks before, the Orange County commission voted unanimously to not sign an addendum to the county’s 287(g) contract with ICE. This addendum would have county correctional officers responsible for transportation of immigration detainees to facilities such as the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” concentration camp in the Everglades, which is known for its inhumane conditions and human rights abuses. The commission also decided on renegotiating its Intergovernmental Service Agreement, or IGSA contract with the U.S. Marshals Service which allowed the county jail to house detainees from other localities before their transfer to another facility. A local group called the Immigrants Are Welcome Here Coalition played a leading role in those victories for the immigrant community.

In response, DeSantis and Uthmeier launched a slew of attacks against Mayor Demings and the rest of the commission. In a letter to the county commission, Uthmeier stated, “Florida law forbids sanctuary policies and requires locals to use ‘best efforts’ to assist with immigration enforcement.” DeSantis then threatened to remove Demings and other commissioners if they did not sign the addendum to allow transportation of immigration detainees.

Shortly after stating that he would not be bullied into compliance by DeSantis and his cronies, Mayor Demings signed the addendum on Friday, August 1 and set for it to be voted on and ratified at Tuesday, August 5, county commission meeting.

At the meeting on Tuesday, the reactionary addendum was ratified with a 5 to 2 vote. Commissioners Kelly Semrad and Nicole WIlson were the only two that voted against it. Despite this setback, the local movement for immigrant rights will continue to fight back against any and all attacks on the immigrant community.

Frustrated with the mayor’s backtracking, Jacob Muldoon, a UPS Teamster and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization said “Mayor Demings, shame on you for betraying our county. You made a commitment and put your own political career over the livelihoods of immigrants in Orange County.”

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