Tallahassee city commission votes to review agreement with ICE
Tallahassee, FL – On August 20, community members spoke out at Tallahassee’s city commission meeting to demand that the city back out of the 287(g) program which gives local officers immigration enforcement abilities. As a result, the city commission voted unanimously to review the agreement at the next city commission meeting.
The struggle over the 287(g) program began earlier this year in March when the Tallahassee Police Department signed the agreement with ICE after pressure from Governor Ron Desantis, despite having no legal obligation to do so.
After significant public outcry at their June meeting, the Tallahassee city commission voted 3-2 to review the agreement. Activists and concerned community members were caught by surprise when 287(g) was left off the August meeting agenda. Many condemned the decision during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Mayor John Dailey then briefly opened the floor for the commissioners to discuss the 287(g) program before shutting it down amid clamor from the crowd as Chief of Police Lawrence Revell took the podium – he was the signee on the memorandum of agreement with ICE.
After the mayor decided to move on from the topic, attendees began to rally outside of the City Hall building chanting, “No justice, no peace, no 287(g)!” and “We will not put up with ICE!”
Joelle Nunez, the president of the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance said, “No matter what the commissioners try to do, it’s the power of the people that pressures them into action and it's the people of Tallahassee that will hold them accountable.”
While people protested outside, 287(g) was brought back for discussion by commissioner Jeremy Matlow who urged the city review the lawsuit by the city of South Miami against the state of Florida regarding the governor’s threats to municipal authorities over refusal to sign 287(g) agreements. In the same motion Matlow also requested an overview of legal options the city of Tallahassee can take against the state over 287(g). In a surprising moment of unity, the city commission voted unanimously to discuss this review at their next meeting in September.