A city in Miami-Dade is seeking legal clarity on whether its police department must partner with the Trump administration in its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The federal government's 287(g) program would give South Miami police officers the ability to question and arrest undocumented immigrants on behalf of the federal government.
"There's incredible social pressure being brought to bear on administrators and chief law enforcement officers to execute these agreements to show that everyone across the state is coming into compliance, quote unquote with this policy trajectory," said South Miami City Mayor Javier Fernandez during a meeting earlier this week.
The move comes after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned Fort Myers officials that they violated a state law by opting out of the partnership.
Fernandez said he wants to assess the legal and financial risks of joining the federal program but is happy to abide by any court outcome.
South Miami has yet to formally take the question to court.
More than 100 law enforcement agencies in Florida have enrolled in the program — more than any other state in the United States.
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