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To the editor:
I have sent the following letter to members of the Fort Myers City Council:
Dear Mayor Anderson, Mr. Bochette, Ms. Brown, and Mr. Brson,
I could not be more disappointed in you and your convictions. I hope you will reconsider your stance to uphold Fort Myer's rights to self-government. Don't let yourselves be bullied into submission by Byron Donalds and Ron DeSantis. Do the right thing for your city. That is your job.
Donalds and DeSantis do not have authority in this case.
Currently, there is no legal justification for undermining the self-governance of Fort Myers. Entering into a 287g Task Force Model Agreement is not required by state or federal law.
Our local police force is already trained in public safety protocols and is effectively apprehending criminals across the board. Adding the responsibility of acting as ICE agents only places an unnecessary burden on them, diverting their focus from essential law enforcement duties. All local police departments already cooperate with ICE to the extent they are required, and all jails operating in Florida already honor ICE detainer requests to hold undocumented people for an additional 48 hours before release.
It is unfair for our local taxes to finance a federal program that is outside our community's priorities. This is about your neighbors who are working and trying to provide a better life for their kids. This "show me your papers" agreement is dangerous, and makes us all less safe by making people who are undocumented or have family that are undocumented less likely to report crimes, and IT IS NOT REQUIRED by state law.
The AG and Governor overreach in Fort Myers Council is creating a state of fear by pressuring local police chiefs, local city managers, and city commissioners into signing these VOLUNTARY agreements. It is government overreach and it is coercion through fear. Until the Governor asks the Republican super majorities in the legislature to make the law say that. You are free to reconsider your stance and uphold Fort Myer's right to self-governance. To date, they have been REJECTED because of concerns that it will strain police resources, erode community trust, and make us all less safe.
ICE's 700,000 civil warrants include a large community of people who fled communism and dictatorships and came to this country through LEGAL means and secured Temporary Protected Status, or Humanitarian Parole, or they are applying for asylum. The Trump administration is ending these programs, leaving these people without status. And the people who are rebuilding their lives in this country, starting businesses, saving money, and providing an education to their kids. Now these people, who are not criminals and not committing crimes, could be at risk of deportation if they interact with a local police officer.
In addition, Marco Rubio is pulling people's green cards for exercising the right to free speech and has already indicated that he is going to keep doing it. And Stephen Miller has already threatened to denaturalize U.S. citizens. They are making America worse. Don't do that here in our hometown.
Background on the Sanctuary Policy law: The statute the Attorney General is trying to enforce is from 2019 (SB168) and was drafted by anti-immigrant hate groups, passed by the legislature, and signed by this Governor. You can use the argument that the language is ambiguous at best, and unconstitutional at worst… which is true.
The law has been challenged before by the City of South Miami in 2019. The district court ruled in the city's favor. Do not place an additional tax burden on the city to defend yourselves. Just change your stance. The Attorney General making overt threats to the City of Fort Myers, there is standing to take this back to court and prove the unconstitutionality of forcing cities to do the job of the federal government.
Karyn Edison
Fort Myers