ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A political battle between Florida’s attorney general and the mayor of Orange County played out in front of cameras Wednesday.
Mayor Jerry Demings told Channel 9 he is not going to let Attorney General James Uthmeier “bully” him or other Orange County leaders.
Uthmeier sent a letter Tuesday threatening to remove Demings and the county commissioners for allegedly having a “sanctuary policy.”
Last month, Orange County commissioners voted against amending a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It would have allowed ICE to use Orange County corrections officers to transport detainees from the jail to “ICE-approved” facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz.”
“I will put my 44 years of public service and my 37 plus years of law enforcement experience on the line to say that I won’t… I am not going to be bullied by the state Attorney General,” Demings said. “He’s ambitious and not adequately, I think, processing what he’s saying to our community and to the communities across the state of Florida. He’s trying to manipulate the circumstances, manipulate law enforcement.”
Demings says it would cost the county too much money and too many resources to help the federal government transport detainees.
He says the jail is already short-staffed on correction officers.
“Indirectly what they’re doing and directly what they are doing is making our community unsafe, making our jail unsafe because then, they’re pulling people out--resources that we cannot afford to send somewhere else within our state,” Demings said.
Demings also said just because the county is trying to negotiate reimbursement costs to house detainees, doesn’t make Orange County a so-called “Sanctuary County.”
“We have cooperated with them fully. They have asked us to enter into an agreement. Agreements are two-party. It’s not a one-party kind of a situation. That means that it’s subject to some discussion and negotiation amongst the parties to the agreement. That’s all that we’re saying here,” Demings said. He added as Orange County’s CEO, he must ensure the jail runs efficiently and safely. He added people must be treated humanely in county custody.
Uthmeier stressed in a news conference Wednesday, if a county fails to provide “best efforts” to assist the feds, it’s a violation of state law.
“Would the Mayor just assume we’re not going to hand these people over to ICE? These disgusting, disgusting predators,” Uthmeier said, speaking about ICE detainees who were arrested in a child predator sting in Marion County.
The Attorney General says if Orange County doesn’t follow state law, the Mayor and Commissioners could be removed from office.
Demings called Uthmeier “overly ambitious,” “over-aggressive,” and “full of himself.”
“I find it ironic that the 37-year-old Attorney General is attacking me, personally attacking our board. I spent more years on the streets of Florida patrolling our streets as a law enforcement officer than he’s been alive, but he’s attacking me and what I stand for,” Demings said.
Uthmeier responded Wednesday to Demings’ comments, saying “that’s all fine and good, my response is-- look at the law.”
Demings says his and the commission’s actions are to protect the community, including the corrections officers and inmates in county custody. “So, the threat of removing us from office for doing our jobs and doing what we were supposed to. It is misplaced,” Demings said.
We asked Uthmeier whether Orange County is allowed to renegotiate the rate the federal government reimburses the county for housing and transport of ICE detainees-- without violating state law.
“Those discussions are certainly allowed to happen, but at the end of the day, the city, the county has an obligation,” Uthmeier said.
Governor Ron DeSantis also responded saying he is closely monitoring the situation, and that he has a “track record” of suspending public officials if he deems necessary.
Demings and Commissioners are set to discuss the matter more Tuesday.
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