St Petersburg calls for an end to 278(g)

St. Petersburg, FL – On December 23, organizers and faith leaders held a press conference in front of the Saint Petersburg Police Department to demand that Mayor Kenneth Welch and Police Chief Anthony Holloway end the city’s 287(g) agreement.

Attendees held signs that read “Chief Holloway: Don’t be a coward! End SPPD cooperation with ICE!” and “Partners in crime against immigrant families!” with images of Kristi Noem, Donld Trump, Mayor Welch and Chief Holloway. Many passersby and drivers shouted and honked in support.

The 287(g) agreement allows law enforcement to carry out the functions of ICE officials. Currently, Florida leads the country in the number of state and local agencies that have signed onto the 287(g) agreement.

Governor DeSantis has threatened to unseat local officials who don’t sign onto the 287(g) agreement. Article IV, section 7(a) of the State Constitution states that the governor can suspend any state officials on the following grounds: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or commission of a felony. Some cities, like Key West and Fort Myers, initially voted against signing the 287(g) agreement but eventually signed due to threats of removal from DeSantis. South Miami voted against signing onto 287(g) and filed a lawsuit back in March.

Speakers emphasized that this agreement is optional.

Angel Murchison, from the Tampa Democratic Socialists of America, said this is textbook racial profiling and drew attention to Trump’s racist attacks on immigrants through 287(g) agreements, “287(g) enables racial profiling as a legal tool of our local police. It is a license to abuse the most vulnerable among us.”

Yunqing Zheng from the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee, spoke about the national and local disapproval of 287(g) and what that means for the 2026 mayoral elections. “The signing of this agreement means that some local officials do not care enough to protect their immigrant communities for the rest of their terms in office.”

Organizers demanded that Mayor Welch serve his immigrant constituents and take a stand against DeSantis, ICE, and Trump by ending Saint Petersburg’s 287(g) agreement.

The press conference ended with people chanting “Mayor Welch you’re a traitor! This term is your last as mayor!”

The press conference was organized by the Tampa Bay Immigrant Solidarity Network, an immigrant rights coalition consisting of the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee, the Party for Socialism and Liberation Tampa Bay, Pinellas Democratic Socialists of America, and Tampa Democratic Socialists of America.

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