Orange County Mayor Defends ICE Agreement Amidst Commissioner adn Advocate Criticism
Orange County Mayor Demings has defended her decision to sign an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating that not signing woudl have had “catastrophic impacts on our community.” Demings explained that as CEO of Orange County, she could not allow such consequences. She consulted with Public Safety Director Danny Banks and Chief of Corrections Louis Quiñones, who confirmed that the county was already performing the requested actions, with the exception of Quiñones’ staff serving ICE detainers. Demings also noted that the county attorney’s office advised that not signing the agreement would be a violation of the law.
Despite these assurances, some county commissioners continue to seek ways to withdraw from the agreement. District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson expressed her belief that the county remains “complacent in something that not only historically is going to be shown immoral, and I believe cruel and indefensible.”
Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, executive director of the Hope CommUnity Center and a prominent immigration advocate, voiced his strong disapproval of the decision. He stated that Mayor Demings has become “complicit with the human rights atrocities being committed at these centers, including the already infamous Alligator Alcatraz.” Sousa-Lazaballet argued that adding immigration enforcement responsibilities is “unneeded” and “irresponsible,” especially given the Orange County Corrections Department’s existing 25% staffing shortage. He believes this move could divert resources from core public safety needs to support a “mass deportation agenda.”
Sousa-Lazaballet also challenged Demings’ earlier statements, suggesting she “folded under pressure” and that the decision represents a “betrayal of the values of dignity, inclusion, and community.” He asserted that there is no state or federal law requiring the county to fulfill this role, citing the opposition of the Republican Legislature to a similar requirement proposed by Governor DeSantis. Sousa-Lazaballet concluded that the intensified pressure from the DeSantis administration to enforce its “anti-immigrant agenda by fear” is the reason for the change in stance.
The ICE 287(g) agreement has been a point of contention, with advocates and some officials questioning its necessity and ethical implications.
