ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – On Tuesday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issued a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning about new limits coming to ICE inmates at the county’s correctional facility (OCCD).
In his letter, Demings said that the local government remains committed to supporting federal immigration enforcement, though he pointed to some concerns involving an agreement with the agency.
Per that agreement, Demings explained, the OCCD is expected to see an estimated 94 men and 20 women daily for the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE.
“In recent months, the volume of ICE detainees housed at OCCD has materially exceeded levels consistent with these terms, which has placed a sustained strain on staffing, building space, and operational resources,” the letter reads.
[BELOW: Orange County reports hundreds of inmates with ICE detainers in county jail]
To better deal with these issues, Demings said that the OCCD will implement the following measures:
- Population Caps: OCCD will cap ICE inmate housing at 66 males and 64 females for those with no local charges.
- Continuous Booking: According to Demings, ICE agents have gotten into a practice of reportedly removing and returning the same inmate to OCCD custody, “effectively restarting the 72-hour clock.” Because this strains OCCD resources, ICE inmates will be limited to one continuous housing period of up to 72 hours per immigration matter.
“We believe these measures are necessary to preserve safe operations, ensure appropriate allocation of staffing and space, and maintain an efficient jail environment for Orange County residents while continuing to support federal immigration enforcement within the parameters of the (agreement),” the letter continues.
According to Demings, the changes are set to be implemented starting on March 1.
You can read through Demings’ full letter at the end of the story.
The continuous booking practice Demings referred to in his letter drew the ire of a federal judge in Orlando Tuesday.
During a hearing for an immigration detainee, Judge Paul Byron chastised a U.S. attorney and demanded they produce the name of the person responsible for the practice within 72 hours, suggesting that person could be held in contempt of court.
The judge also released the immigrant from ICE custody.