The Miami-Dade Commission on Monday is considering a proposal that would block county officials from releasing public records about suspected undocumented immigrants detained in its jails, leaving family members in the dark about their loved ones, warns the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
The coalition said the proposal, if passed by the commission, would effectively disappear those detained into the system without public accountability for their whereabouts.
The commission will hold a hearing on the proposal Monday, beginning at 9 a.m., at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center (111 NW 1st St, Miami, FL 33132).
The proposal is part of an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under its 287(g) program to cooperate in apprehending and detaining those believe to be in the country illegally. The federal strategy is part of the Trump administration’s ambitious deportation policy.
Each of Florida’s 67 county jails has signed the agreement. Nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S., according to the latest Homeland Security Department estimates. Florida, with 590,000, has the third highest number of any state.
READ MORE: South Miami mayor worries working with ICE could lead to financial liability
Almost 250 police agencies across Florida have signed an agreement under ICE’s 287(g) program.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, posting on X, wrote “Miami-Dade is not and will not be a sanctuary county” and that he was supporting the proposal.
“I’m backing an item to formally approve our ICE agreement, already signed by the Mayor in March, as required by state law,” he wrote. “We’ve honored detainers since 2019. This just ensures we get reimbursed.”
The county, say coalition leaders, will get $25 per day per person detained, far less than the actual cost of keeping them locked up. The Miami Herald reported that the county would receive $50 per detainee per day.
Coalition leaders call the proposal “a bad deal” for Miami-Dade and taxpayers.
Tessa Petit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, is urging those opposed to the proposal to express their opposition to the commission during Monday's scheduled hearing.
“If you believe in due process, transparency, and the right to safety, come to the Miami-Dade Commission hearing on June 9th and make your voice heard,” she said. “Our rights, safety, and the constitutional guarantees of due process are in jeopardy right here in Miami.”
“Imagine if your husband, father, son, wife, or best friend disappeared without a trace by the same officials that are supposed to serve you,” Petit said. “Many of us have lived this reality in countries like Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, and others. Not here, not now, not ever! No one should vanish without a trace.”
Alana Greer, Director of Community Justice Project, said it is “shameful to see Miami-Dade County voluntarily collaborating with ICE and auctioning off our rights to transparency and due process.”
