Immigration Showdown in Miami

MIAMI — Advocates of undocumented immigrants turned out in force on Friday as Miami-Dade County Commissioners listened to public concerns over Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez' controversial immigration order directing county jails to comply with a new White House policy targeting sanctuary cities and jurisdictions.

The meeting got underway shortly after 10 a.m. with the commission hearing from Florida state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez and a long procession of speakers from various groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and even the young children of parents who have been deported.

Mayor Gimenez defended his policy following the public remarks. The Miami-Dade Board of Commissioners was expected to decide whether it would back the mayor later in the day.

"There's no specific threat from the federal government," Rodriguez told commissioners, asking them to be stronger negotiators. "I would characterize this simply as appeasement of an administration that’s not only a month old."

All of Friday's speakers were given one minute to make their case under rules outlined by Chairman Esteban L. Bovo, Jr. at the onset. Many of the speakers wore white flowers as a show of support for undocumented people living and working in Miami-Dade County.

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"Right now I’m a fugitive and based on the law I’m a criminal," acknowledged one man. "I'm not a criminal and I don’t think I should be treated as a criminal."

The Gimenez order came one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening federal funding to cities that didn't comply.

Miami-Dade County Democratic Chairman Juan Cuba told commissioners on Friday that they had no reason to act so quickly.

"You are not in any immediate threat of losing federal funds," said Cuba, who was ejected from a commission meeting last week when he persisted in trying to bring up the issue during the public comment portion of the meeting. "You are speculating what Trump would do."

"This is a county where people are proud to speak Spanish," added a Miami Beach man. "We are the capital of immigrants."

In issuing his order, Gimenez and other county officials had feared that Miami-Dade might be unfairly lumped in with jurisdictions that openly shield undocumented immigrants from prosecution as Patch reported earlier.

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Friday's meeting took 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.

"No we all don’t speak Spanish," countered one woman. "You have to be able to have a glass full before you can take any more."

"A country without law is not a country at all," said another man with a Spanish accent, who spoke in favor of the mayor's order.

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

Image of Chairman Esteban L. Bovo, Jr. and all other images courtesy of Miami-Dade County live stream.