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Conflict in Orange County: Rocky road to addendum

By Zaire Floyd


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Tallahassee, Florida- On August 1st, 2025, the mayor of Orange County, Florida, signed an addendum to a policy congruent with ICE’s involvement with local governments.


After a month of pushback, Orange County’s Jerry Demings reluctantly signed a new addendum to the 287 (g) policy. “Under protest and extreme duress,” is how Demings described his decision to do so. 


According to the I.C.E. website, 287 (g)  is a policy that was first introduced in 1996 due to the IIRAIRA Act, which aimed to control illegal immigration. Signed into law by former President Bill Clinton, the policy also allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight. Basically, this means law enforcement officers of local governments have more control over certain immigration issues, as long as ICE itself approves their actions. 


287 (g) is currently active in 40 of 50 U.S states. The American Immigration Council cites that with the program, law enforcement has access to ICE databases, can screen individuals being detained in detention centers, issue official documents to begin removal (from the United States) processes, and transfer noncitizens into ICE custody, among other things. 

The worry that existed with the signing of this document came from concerns surrounding due process and resources within the county. In the United States, every person on the country’s soil is given rights to due process, meaning citizenship plays no role in one’s ability to receive fair legal representation and a day in court. As seen in other complaints about increased ICE presence, the civil rights of these individuals were being questioned. 

Additionally, signing the addendum to be voted on meant that local officers would be able to transport detention center to detainees, which brought up another issue of resources. Central Florida Public Media stated that at the time of the policy's introduction, a shortage of officers by 24% existed within Orange County Jails. Demings expressed unease in sending more officers away to carry out the tasks attached to the 287 (g) program. 

Despite these oppositions, a letter issued by the Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, warned that failure to comply would be considered as “employing sanctuary policies” and could result in removal from office. In Florida, sanctuary policies are known as policies enacted by a state that might seek to restrict cooperation with federal immigration agencies, although definitions of the term are sometimes subjective.


On August 5th of 2025, the addendum was officially signed, with protest from two Orange County commissioners who worried that the policy would increase pressure on the corrections officers due to their current shortage. Although ratified, the decision was controversial in both the community and the board of commissioners. Demings offered this sentiment to individuals who were upset by the decision: “So by signing the agreement, we thwarted the calamity of the removal of office of our entire commission. By signing the agreement, we avoided the immediate risk of having the governor appoint his minions to lead Orange County, and thereby, we maintain the current, duly elected Orange County Commission…” (Quote provided by Spectrum News 13).


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