Miami Immigration Showdown Coming Over Gimenez Order

MIAMI — Advocates of undocumented immigrants and Trump supporters are gearing up for a possible showdown on Feb. 17 when city officials hear from the public on Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez' controversial immigration order.

Gimenez last month issued a memo ordering county jails to comply with a new White House policy targeting sanctuary cities and jurisdictions. The action came one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening federal funding to cities that didn't comply.

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Gimenez and other elected officials had feared that the county might be unfairly lumped in with cities that openly shield undocumented immigrants from prosecution as Patch reported earlier.

"The commission may discuss or take action on any item related to this topic that may be placed on the agenda," according to a meeting notice of the Miami-Dade Commission, which refused to hear from audience members on the issue at its meeting earlier this week.

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The Feb. 17 meeting will take place in the Miami-Dade County Commission chamber on the second floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center at 111 NW 1st St. in downtown Miami.

President Donald Trump took to Twitter to applaud the decision by Gimenez, tweeting "Miami-Dade mayor drops sanctuary policy. Right Decision. Strong!"

At Tuesday's meeting, Miami-Dade County Democratic Chairman Juan Cuba and others who attempted to raise the issue in the public segment of the meeting were shut down by Commission Chairman Esteban L. Bovo, Jr. Cuba was eventually ejected from the meeting chamber when he persisted.

In his one-page memorandum, titled "Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States," Gimenez pointed to President Trump's executive order and ordered the head of the county's prisons to "honor all immigration detainer requests received from the Department of Homeland Security."

The memorandum was addressed to Daniel Junior, interim director of the county's Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.

"Miami-County complies with federal law and intends to fully cooperate with the federal government," added Gimenez in his memo that was signed on Jan. 26 . "I will partner with the Board of County Commissioners to address any issues necessary to achieve this end."

Image of Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez courtesy of Miami-Dade County