ICE

A handful of Florida universities, including UF, are now officially signed on to have campus cops help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, while faculty at three universities have asked for a halt to the program.

The terminations come amidst widespread immigration enforcement efforts throughout the state and country.

News reports of noncitizens being unexpectedly detained have dominated headlines recently. Those being detained include noncitizens who hold lawful permanent residency status.

The little-known 2021 settlement was meant to shield some undocumented immigrants in county jails from being handed over to federal authorities if they were victims or witnesses of a crime. Getting the county to abide is more pressing now that the conditions at the Krome Detention Center are attracting widespread scrutiny — including from county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Around 30 Gainesville residents — from concerned citizens, parents, teachers and students — gathered to express their concern over the Alachua County School Board's policy to cooperate with immigration officials on school campuses.

Mayor Buddy Dyer sent a letter to Attorney General James Uthmeier explaining the city plans to follow state and federal laws regarding immigration enforcement.

Alachua County Public Schools in February released guidelines that state ICE agents can interview and remove students, with or without a warrant. Dozens of teachers, parents and community members have spent the past few school board meetings voicing concerns over these policies.

The 27-year-old international student from Colombia is being held in South Florida after he was arrested following a traffic stop. He was previously ticketed in 2023 for an expired registration and driving without a valid license, and never paid the fines.

Immigration advocates denounced the move, one speaker saying Orlando has become part of the "deportation and disappearing machine."

The public university in Boca Raton could be the first to enter such an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which lists the campus police department as one of 75 entities that have submitted paperwork for consideration.

The recent controversy and confusion over immigration enforcement training for Fort Myers police may cost the longtime city attorney Grant Alley his job.

Ninety-seven of the 140 law enforcement agencies that have signed 287 (g) agreements with ICE are in Florida. "The Florida Roundup" discusses the collaboration.