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Florida AG threatens to oust Orange County leaders
Florida’s attorney general is threatening to remove Orange County’s mayor and commissioners from office, accusing them of defying state law by refusing to assist with the transport of immigration detainees to a controversial detention facility in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida’s attorney general is threatening to remove Orange County’s mayor and commissioners from office, accusing them of defying state law by refusing to assist with the transport of immigration detainees to a controversial detention facility in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
AG Uthmeier alleges county is violating state law
What we know:
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is threatening to remove Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and county commissioners from office over an immigration policy dispute.
This comes just a few weeks after the Orange County Commission voted not to amend a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would have required county corrections officers to transport immigration detainees to federal detention centers, including the facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
Uthmeier claims this decision violates the state’s sanctuary city ban. Orange County leaders say the added transport duty would overstretch their already limited corrections staff and place an undue burden on taxpayers.
The dispute between Uthmeier and Orange County leaders also comes just one day after the Florida Department of Governmental Oversight and Enforcement (DOGE) announced a separate audit of Orange County.
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Attorneys cite due process violations at 'Alligator Alcatraz'
At the same time, civil rights attorneys are seeking a temporary restraining order against "Alligator Alcatraz," alleging widespread due process violations, including lack of legal access and canceled bond hearings.
During a federal court hearing Monday, lawyers said detainees at the facility have been held without charges and denied access to attorneys, with more than 100 already deported. Attorneys said immigration courts have refused to hear bond cases, citing lack of jurisdiction, and are now demanding that officials clarify which court oversees the facility.
Nicholas Meros, an attorney for Gov. Ron DeSantis, told the court conditions have improved since the lawsuit was filed July 16, noting that video conferencing and in-person attorney visits have resumed.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz did not issue a ruling but asked attorneys to refile their request as a motion for a preliminary injunction. He scheduled an in-person hearing for Aug. 18.
The backstory:
The detention center — dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" — has faced criticism since its inception from immigration advocates for its remote location and limited access to legal resources.
The ICE detention facility is being housed at the old Dade-Collier Training Airport in Ochopee, Florida. It's located in South Florida, between Everglades City to the West and Miami to East. Officials said the detention facility will be able to house some 3,000 people.
The old airport encompasses 36 square miles and has a 10,500-foot runway.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether the attorney general will follow through with legal action or removal proceedings, or how the recently announced audit by Florida's Department of Governmental Oversight and Enforcement (DOGE) may influence the county’s decisions.
Big picture view:
The dispute reflects ongoing tension between state-level immigration enforcement efforts and local governments concerned about resources and civil liberties. It also puts a spotlight on broader allegations of human rights violations at immigration detention facilities in Florida.
The letter by Uthmeier concerning the immigration policy decision by the Orange County Commission comes one day after Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced that the county would be among the first to be audited by the newly created Florida DOGE agency.
At the same time as Orange County leaders are disputing whether county funds and resources should be used to transport detainees to Alligator Alcatraz, civil rights attorneys are seeking a temporary restraining order against the facility, alleging widespread due process violations.
What they're saying:
Florida Attorney General Uthmeier warned county officials that their recent vote to decline to amend a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effectively made Orange County a "sanctuary jurisdiction," which is banned under Florida law.
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"Failure to take corrective action will result in the enforcement of all applicable civil and criminal penalties, including the removal from office," Uthmeier wrote in a letter to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and the board of commissioners.
Although the county had previously agreed in March to allow corrections officers to issue ICE warrants under the original contract, commissioners cited staffing and budget concerns in refusing the amendment requiring transport services.
"We would need to hire more corrections officers to do it on our taxpayer dollars," Dist. 5 Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad said. "If the state wants to do that, that’s within their purview — it’s not county business."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad, and the Associated Press.