Florida hub for Venezuelan immigrants poised to join forces with ICE: reports

DORAL, Fla. - A key hub for Venezuelan immigrants in Florida is poised to sign an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would allow the city’s law enforcement to carry out some immigration-enforcement operations.

New ICE agreement

What we know:

Members of the Doral City Council are expected to authorize the new partnership with ICE on Wednesday.

The agreement would allow Doral police officers to carry out limited immigration enforcement, such as detentions, questioning and processing those suspected of breaking federal immigration laws, according to a report by the Miami Herald.

One part of the program focuses on identifying and processing illegal immigrants who are already in custody and eligible for deportation. Another part allows for local law enforcement to support ICE deportation operations in the field.

The program permits some local law enforcement officers to participate in a 40-hour ICE training session, while also requiring that the local agencies keep in regular contact with ICE when carrying out immigration enforcement.

(Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

‘One of the largest populations of Venezuelan immigrants in the country’

What they're saying:

The inclusion of Doral in the effort would mark a seemingly surprising turn, with the city being home to one of the largest populations of Venezuelan immigrants in the country.

That fact has sparked concern among many in the local population, most notably about potential racial profiling, though city officials have attempted to ease fears and said the partnership will focus strictly on lawful enforcement.

"The intention isn’t to detain anyone based on how they look," Council Member Rafael Pineyro told the Miami Herald. "We are obligated to follow federal and state laws, but the goal is not to target individuals based on appearance. Our focus remains on lawful enforcement, not profiling."

Local activists continue to push back against the potential agreement.

"By transforming local law enforcement into instruments of the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement, Doral’s elected officials have broken the trust of the city’s large Venezuelan community," Adelys Ferro, the executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, told the Miami Herald. "The community relies on the police for protection, not persecution."

U.S. deportation efforts

Big picture view:

The news of the new agreement comes as President Donald Trump has continued his push to ramp up deportation efforts across the country, an effort that has included the courting of several local law enforcement agencies to assist federal immigration authorities.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also encouraged local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The report notes that Florida law requires enforcement agencies in charge of county jails to be enrolled in the immigration programs.

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