U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement currently operates in 11 different Florida counties. However, Orange County has experienced a surge in ICE presence this year, with a possible expansion on the horizon.
Federal officials have been investigating a warehouse in Orlando as a potential new immigrant detention center. The community has had an intense reaction to this possibility, with some local government officials pledging to attempt to block the development. However, several Orlando officials have announced that, though the facility would be within city limits, they have limited power to prevent ICE from using the establishment.
Central Florida Representatives Darren Soto and Maxwell Alejandro Frost sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), citing past concerns with Florida’s ICE detention center in the Everglades—commonly known as “Alligator Alcatraz”. The representatives expressed their concern for the inmates’ safety and declared that they strongly oppose the establishment of one of these sites in their district.
On Feb. 3, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings notified the federal government that, beginning early March, the Orange County Corrections Department (OCCD) will limit the number of immigrant detainees without any local charges. As of recently, the Orange County Jail has faced an influx of detainees coming in solely because of immigration holds. On Feb. 13, the jail had 184 ICE detainees with local charges, and 57 inmates with an ICE hold and no local charge.
Demings claims that these extra inmates disrupt the jail’s flow and exceed previously agreed-upon numbers. Not only is the overall work environment affected, but the county also incurs about $180 per booking. The U.S. Marshals Service reimburses the county around $88 per detainee, but it isn’t enough to fully cover these new costs.
On top of the influx of bookings, ICE has also reportedly found a Constitutional loophole regarding excessive time spent in holding. According to state officials, a person can be held no longer than 72 hours without any formal charges. However, ICE has a pattern of placing someone in a hold, releasing them after 72 hours, and then rebooking them under a different number, effectively resetting their 72-hour timer.
Ethically, this practice violates the fair treatment guaranteed by our Constitution, but legally, ICE could continue it without repercussions. Demings specifically addressed this matter in his letter, saying that the Orange County Corrections Department will no longer allow the strain on its resources.
Following up on his communications from early February, Demings sent a letter to Aisha Ogburn, a grants specialist for the U.S. Marshals Service’s Prisoner Operations, on Feb. 13. He stated that he had reached out about a funding discrepancy in mid-August, but that little progress had been made since then. He also stated that if no changes are made, the county may have to move forward with terminating its Intergovernmental Service Agreement and, therefore, its cooperation with ICE.
Demings’ actions are most likely a reflection of his bid for Florida Governor in the upcoming race. The Orange County mayor, a Democrat, is running for a seat held by Republicans for almost 30 years. Keeping this in mind, the wording in Demings’ letter makes sense, specifically the multiple parts where he reminds the federal government that Orlando is more than willing to cooperate with immigration enforcement. Many immigration advocates have pushed for Demings to do more regarding ICE, advocating that the county engage in a lawsuit seeking clarity on the city’s obligations to cooperate.