OVIEDO, Fla. – Congressman Cory Mills’ second Town Hall this week was held Thursday evening in Oviedo at the Cultural Center.
Some of the several dozen protestors lined the street out front, ahead of the event. Some protestors carried signs calling for Rep. Mills to step down. Other signs appeared to be in support of Alex Pretti, the second man shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis in January.
Some of the signs News 6 saw Thursday read, “Pretti Good,” “Time to resist,” “Unfit to serve,” Ice out," “We deserve better,” “Democracy dies while GOP lies,” “ICE out for good,” and ICE as an acronym on another sign. On that sign, ICE was written out to be short for “Inhumane, Criminal and Evil,” another sign read, “Evict Cory Mills.”
Once Congressman Mills started the Town Hall, the loud chants from the several dozen protestors outside were apparently hard for many to ignore.
Before Congressman Mills could get to the planned questions submitted prior to the event, a woman stood and began shouting at Mills.
Among several other statements, she began to yell in support of Renee Good. That’s the first person to be shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis in January.
That same woman also shouted to Mills, “You voted against defunding ICE.”
Congressman Mills then responded to her, saying in part, “ICE, ICE Baby.”
That led to most of the crowd yelling the word “Shame” repeatedly.
Congressman Mills was then called a racist from elsewhere in the crowd.
Mills responded to this in part, saying, “My son is mixed, ma’am.”
Congressman Mills was eventually able to get to the first planned question.
That question read in part, “What are you doing to ensure due process in the event ICE operates illegally?”
Mills said in part, “I think that there should be investigation footage as well as eyewitness footage that way we can get the entire perspective whether you are the actual one who is the assailant or whether you’re the law enforcement officer who is responding... every single side needs to be seen so I support due process at all times when it comes to our ICE agents.”
Throughout the night at the Town Hall, News 6 also noticed a crowd of those who appeared to be in support of Congressman Mills, clapping and cheering him on at some points.
For example, when Congressman Mills shared his support of veterans, he got a roaring applause.
Congressman Mills is up for re-election in 2026.