Tell the City of Miami to Stop Diverting Local Funding to Federal Immigration Efforts

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Tell City of Miami Commissioners to unite against agreements that deputize local police and damage community safety.

Under pressure from the Trump administration and Florida leaders, local police departments across the country have been recruited to enforce cruel and extreme anti-immigrant policies. This includes the expansion of 287(g) agreements — dangerous programs that turn local police into immigration agents.

In recent months, we have seen a sharp rise in these agreements in Florida. But Florida law does not require cities to enter into 287(g) agreements, and the consequences are severe when they do:

  • Wasted taxpayer dollars
  • Increased racial profiling
  • Erosion of public safety
  • Serious civil rights violations
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    Local police should protect our communities, not target them. These programs incentivize officers to target people based on how they look or whether they speak English – a direct threat to our diverse community. We can't let Miami be next.

    Tell Miami Commissioners to unite against all forms of 287(g) agreements. Local police should protect our communities, not target them.

    Send your message now.

    Lookup your Miami City Commission District.

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    Your Message
    Use the form to send a message to your commissioner.

    I, along with the undersigned residents and voters of the City of Miami, strongly urge our City Commissioners to vote NO on entering into any 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    As City of Miami residents, we stand firmly against these agreements that would damage our community safety, waste taxpayer dollars, and contradict our city's values.

    Miami is a majority-immigrant city, with 55% of our residents being foreign-born and 67% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Our immigrant community contributes substantially to our economy:

    • Immigrants represent 65% of Miami-Dade's employed labor force
    • Immigrant entrepreneurs account for 73.9% of all business owners in Miami-Dade County
    • Immigrants contribute over $4 billion annually in state and local taxes
    • Immigrants drive key industries including construction, healthcare, tourism, and technology

    Also, despite claims to the contrary, the City of Miami is not legally required to enter into any form of 287(g) agreement. South Miami has already filed a lawsuit seeking clarity on whether municipalities are legally obligated to participate. Key Biscayne and other municipalities have delayed similar agreements. Additionally, no federal funding is contingent upon Miami's participation in these agreements.

    However, 287(g) agreements would impose substantial costs on Miami taxpayers. Training, administrative, and personnel costs would be borne entirely by the City of Miami. Officers engaged in immigration enforcement would be diverted from their primary public safety duties. And 287(g) agreements open cities up to expensive legal liability—Marion County, Florida settled just one wrongful detention case for $150,000.

    These agreements would make all Miami residents less safe and break community trust. We know that when local police take on immigration enforcement, immigrant crime victims and witnesses become afraid to report crimes. Communities with 287(g) agreements see decreased reporting of domestic violence and sexual assault.

    It is no secret that these agreements have a documented pattern of civil rights violations, which include racial profiling and even wrongful detention of U.S. citizens. 287(g) programs foster environments where people are detained based on appearance or language ability. Earlier this year, under another immigration law, Leon County detained Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a U.S. citizen born in Georgia, for speaking a different language.

    As residents of Miami, we urge our City Commissioners to make the right choice for Miami:

    1. Vote NO on all forms of 287(g) agreements at the June 12th meeting
    2. Maintain a clear separation between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement
    3. Protect Miami's tax dollars for essential city services
    4. Preserve community trust in our local police
    5. Uphold Miami's legacy as a city that welcomes and celebrates its immigrant community

    By signing this petition, I voice my opposition to 287(g) agreements and call on our elected officials to reject them at the June 12th City Commission meeting.

    Sincerely,

    [First Name] [Last Name]

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