Florida city council members tear up at vote over ICE partnering with local officers

Some Fort Myers City Council members were in tears Monday over a vote on a memorandum of agreement between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local police.

The Florida city council met to discuss the agreement for city law enforcement to receive the training and authority to act as ICE agents to detain and arrest illegal immigrants, among other functions.

During the meeting, council members Darla Bonk and Diana Giraldo teared up as they voiced their opposition to the agreement. 

Bonk’s voice broke as she described the risk of losing state and federal funds if she refused to agree.

"It is a tumultuous day and age. And this is a day I hate to be in this seat," Bonk said. "But my city is not for sale."

Fort Myers City Council members Darla Bonk and Diana Giraldo grasp hands during a meeting on Monday. (Fort Myers City website)

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Giraldo feared the memorandum would be used to racially profile Hispanic citizens.

"I can't stand behind this as an immigrant, the only immigrant sitting in this council," Giraldo said.

The two grasped hands at one point in their remarks.

Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson argued in favor of the memorandum, emphasizing that it would not give officers the authority to go out in search of illegal immigrants "kicking in doors," but simply the ability to arrest and process illegal immigrants who had been charged or convicted of a crime.

The motion failed to pass on a 3-3 vote with one council member not in attendance.

Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson argued the memorandum would not give local officers the ability to track down all illegal immigrants but to go after and detain ones with criminal charges or convictions. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier responded to the vote on Tuesday with a letter demanding the city council change its position or risk civil or criminal penalties for being a sanctuary city.

"Sanctuary policies are illegal in Florida. Your vote last night makes you a sanctuary city. Fix this problem or face the consequences," Uthmeier wrote on X, along with a copy of his letter. 

When reached for comment, the Office of the Attorney General pointed Fox News Digital to an interview with FOX 4 where Uthmeier discussed the letter. 

In the interview, Uthmeier said that not passing the memorandum could violate the state’s law prohibiting "sanctuary policies" that prevent the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

He added that penalties could include removal from office.

"We’re looking at all options. We put them on notice, but we're not going to wait long. If they don’t immediately correct their problem, then we will take action," Uthmeier said to FOX 4.

However, he did not give a clear timeline of when that could take place if the memorandum still wasn't passed.

Florida state law prohibits "sanctuary city" policies that inhibit federal law enforcement of immigration policies. (Fox News)

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Anderson said the city has scheduled an emergency meeting on Friday to revisit the memorandum and hopefully come to a clearer conclusion.

"This is another tool for our police to keep our city safe. With that, City Management has been taking proactive steps to readdress the matter, and I hope Friday’s meeting leads to an amenable resolve with federal and state directives," the mayor said.

The other members of the city council did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital in time for publication.