With the federal government finally taking action to protect Americans from border invasions, responsible state and local government are following suit.
Florida has passed a law concerning illegal immigration, and the city of Jacksonville has done the same.
The City Council passed the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act in March. That bill would give the sheriff’s office funds to buy more fingerprint scanners and would require police to notify state and federal authorities after arresting an illegal immigrant.
The city’s general counsel wrote a letter to the council members noting that a federal district court had issued an injunction against a state law enacted in February, and that the local law appeared to be similar.
Florida has appealed the preliminary injunction. However, the general counsel advised the sheriff’s office not to enforce the state law or local law while the injunction was in place but to continue cooperating with enforcement of federal law.
Sheriff T.K. Waters said police will always enforce federal, state and local laws.
“We don’t refuse to enforce laws passed by the legislative bodies, federal, state or local,” he told Eye on Jacksonville.
But Mayor Donna Deegan has her own perspective.
Asked by Eye for comment, Deegan said:
“I’m so glad you asked. I was totally taken by surprise. Turns out, and we have the texts and emails to show it, that Kevin Carrico asked (General Counsel Michael) Fackler for a written opinion and suggested he also share it with the sheriff. There is also an email from the JSO attorney asking for the opinion to be mailed to her. As you know Fackler had already advised me that he felt the law violated federal law and would leave us open to lawsuits. So he gave his opinion, as instructed by the other client, the city council VP, and of course it was used to create a political cudgel.
“I don’t believe the sheriff is bound by that opinion. I think it just serves as his attorney’s advice, and I told him as much.”
Councilman Rory Diamond since has proposed what he calls the second half of that law and it has been approved by the council’s Finance Committee. It would track federal grants used to support illegal immigrants living in the city and spending by the city on them.
Diamond says he wants to know how many illegal immigrants are in Jacksonville and how much taxpayers are paying to provide them with services.
That doesn’t seem too much to ask.
But those who favor flooding the U.S. with unvetted, unidentified people who skip the legal immigration process are protesting.
Diamond’s bill will be up for a final vote by the council on Tuesday. If any weak-kneed Republicans join Democrats in voting not to protect Americans, it may not pass.
