Jerry Demings, the mayor of Orange County, retaliated against Florida’s attorney general on Wednesday, arguing that his county is not a haven for illegal immigrants and that he will not tolerate cruel politics from an overly combative young guy.
A day after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened to remove the mayor and Board of County Commissioners from office if they did not agree to use county corrections officers to transport immigrant detainees to federal facilities, Demings, a former Orange County Sheriff and Orlando Police Chief, made the comments on Wednesday.
Uthmeier argued in the letter sent to X on Tuesday that Orange County was supporting an illegal sanctuary policy by rejecting the plan at a discussion earlier this month.
Demings responded, “We support lawful immigration.” I think it’s a little ironic that the 37-year-old Attorney General is personally disparaging our board and me in this instance. As a law enforcement officer, I patrolled Florida’s streets for more years than he has been alive. However, he is disparaging me and my beliefs, so I’m here today to just ask you: What do we think? Who am I? Faith, integrity, and having the guts to lead in different ways are things I believe in.
Demings claimed the letter was political in the penultimate year of his second four-year term as mayor, following a groundbreaking ceremony for Watermark Park in Winter Garden.
However, I can tell you that as a longtime law enforcement officer who is still certified in the state of Florida, I have been trusted for decades to lead during times of controversy, take on some dangerous situations, and lead when it took courage to do so. “I’m not backing down from that,” he declared. Therefore, I believe that this mean-spirited kind of governance is being led by a young man who is very aggressive. He is self-centered. I would challenge him to clarify what Orange County has done to genuinely become a sanctuary county, as he is currently unsure of what he is doing and saying.
At its meeting on August 5, the county is scheduled to revisit the topic of transporting ICE inmates.
Demings’ heated reaction, which is out of character for the typically composed mayor, comes as Orange County is under state inspection in a number of areas.
In addition to Uthmeier’s letter, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia informed Demings last week that the county will be subject to a Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) audit the following week. Additionally, the county was notified by the Florida Department of Revenue that a new state legislation is threatening to repeal a number of its growth management programs.
The core of the Demings-Uthmeier conflict, however, stems from a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on July 15, when members decided not to approve an amendment to the board’s contract with the Florida Sheriffs Association and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would have permitted local corrections officers to transport immigration detainees to detention centers such as Alligator Alcatraz.
As part of a long-standing cooperation with ICE, the Orange County Jail accommodates federal inmates and those facing immigration infractions on the way to deportation, including providing jail space for individuals apprehended in adjacent counties.
Prior to the July 15 meeting, Demings declined to sign the agreement, arguing that county officials were not obligated by Florida law to do so and that the federal government was responsible for transporting federal prisoners.
Uthmeier disagreed, claiming that the county wasn’t doing its utmost to assist federal immigration enforcement by rejecting it.
You failed to use your best efforts to facilitate the enforcement of federal immigration law and implemented a sanctuary policy by rejecting this addition, which was submitted by ICE and Florida Sheriffs.
He stated that the June Addendum must be adopted by the county right away in order to let Orange County Corrections Officers to transfer undocumented aliens to detention centers that have been approved by ICE. All appropriate civil and criminal consequences, including the governor’s removal from office, shall be enforced if corrective action is not taken.
Despite his incisive comments on Wednesday, Demings did not state whether the county would keep opposing the transportation request and the contract modification.
Our purpose is not to advocate for illegal immigration. How, therefore, can our county or city be a sanctuary? He stated that neither I nor our Board of County Commission had taken any action to the contrary. On the contrary, the measures we have implemented are intended to safeguard our residents, prisoners, and correctional staff. Therefore, it is inappropriate to threaten to remove us from office if we are performing our duties and fulfilling our obligations. At best, it is misguided.
OrlandoSentinel.com/rygillespie
