Mayor of Fort Myers Kevin Anderson said he was “disappointed” and “ashamed” after a municipal meeting went viral then Two members cried for a voice To enable cooperation between city police officers and American immigration and customs enforcement (ICE).
“It was a bit embarrassing,” Anderson said Fox 35 On Wednesday. “I think when we are on stage, there should really be no room for emotions, because when we become emotional about things, we don’t always make the best decisions. We have to be strong, and we have to use facts and truth and information to make our decisions and not feelings of emotion.”
The Memorandum of Agreement would enable Stadswet enforcement to get training and authority to act as ice officers To hold and arrest illegal immigrants, including functions.
It was unable to pass on a 3-3 votes on Monday, where one councilor was not present. Council members Darla Bonk and Diana Giraldo tore up while they expressed their opposition.
Some members of the Fort Myers city council cried for a memorandum about city officers who worked with ICE agents. (Fort Myers City website)
“It’s a tumultuous day and age. And this is a day that I hate to sit in this chair,” said Bonk, her voice broke as she spoke about the risk of losing state and federal funds. “But my city is not for sale.”
“I can’t support this as an immigrant, the only immigrant in this council,” said Giraldo.
Anderson defended the memorandum during the meeting and emphasized that it would not give officers the authority to sort out illegal immigrants who “kick” doors, but simply the ability to arrest and process illegal immigrants that had been charged or convicted of a crime.
Attorney James Uthmeier in Florida responded on Tuesday to the vote with a letter that demanded his position from the city council or risking civil or criminal fines as a sanctuary.
“Sanctuary policy is illegal in Florida. Your voice will make you a sanctuary last night. Solve this problem or face this problem,” wrote Uhmeier on X Tuesday, together with a copy of his letter.
Government of Florida, Ron Desantis, also responded to the vote in an X post on Tuesday.
“Thanks to the laws that we recently established in Florida, local entities must participate in the enforcement of federal immigration.
Uhmeier said in a local interview that fines could include removal from his office, of which Anderson said the opponents of the agreement in the council should be worried.
“If I was in the shoes of those who voted against it, I would be very worried now,” Anderson Fox 35 told. “When it comes to public service, the governor has shown in recent years that he is very serious to keep people responsible in the oath of the office.”
He added that although he understood the symptoms of Uthmeier, Fort Myers is “not a sanctuary” and, despite this issue, takes public safety very seriously.
“I was very disappointed and also ashamed of our city,” he said about the mood.
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Mayor Kevin Anderson defended the Memorandum and said that it will first be aimed at illegal immigrants who commit crimes. (Fox 35 screenshot)
But with state and national attention for the council, Anderson said that he is “confident”, they will get a different result as soon as an emergency meeting is held on Friday to go through the memorandum again.
The meeting is expected to include an additional councilor that was absent in the original meeting and was unable to vote.
However, he said that after years he learned in public office: “You never know how the council is going.”
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