ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Amid outrage and frustration from community advocates, Orange County commissioners on Tuesday voted to ratify an addendum to its ICE agreement that will require county corrections officers to transport certain detainees to federal immigration facilities, including one known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades.
Commissioners voted 5 to 2 Tuesday after public comment, and days after Mayor Jerry Demings signed the addendum last week.
Commissioner Kelly Semrad was one of the no votes.
“It may mean that I am removed from the board, but this is a hill that is worth me standing on,” Semrad said, crying.
The decision follows weeks of public debate and a warning from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier that local officials could face removal from office for noncompliance.
“So, by signing the agreement, we thwarted the calamity of the potential removal from office of our entire commission. By signing the agreement, we avoided the immediate risk of having the governor appoint his minions to lead Orange County,” Demings said Tuesday.
Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who also voted against the agreement, called the state’s pressure campaign illegal.
“To me, it feels like coercion by threat to some extent,” Wilson said.
Dozens came out to talk directly to the board during public comment. One man urged the county to ratify the agreement to curb illegal immigration.
“[Illegal immigration] drives up the average cost of housing. It increases local crime rates; these are verified facts. Orange County deserves better. I urge you to follow the mayor’s example,” he said.
Others called the agreement unjust and suggested letting the courts decide if compliance is required.
One urged commissioners, “Just as Mayor Demings signed the damn thing, I’m asking you to file the damn lawsuit.”
County Attorney Jeffrey Newton recommended approval, warning commissioners that rejecting the addendum could lead to their removal from office.
“I am not going to advise you to allow the governor and the attorney general to remove you from office,” Newton said.
Demings emphasized that Orange County Corrections would not have to transport anyone under the updated agreement unless the county agreed to each request.
“What I signed doesn’t require us to do anything,” he said.
The county attorney noted that approving the agreement now does not prevent the county from filing a lawsuit later. After the vote, Demings said the county would have to explore those legal options in a future meeting.
On Monday evening, protesters gathered outside the county administration building to speak out against the ICE agreement. Among them was State Rep. Anna Eskamani, who said the mayor was not legally required to sign the deal.
“There’s definitely no law that requires you to facilitate transportation of detainees,” Eskamani said. “What Orange County needs to do is file a lawsuit.