Miami-Dade’s anti-immigrant policy — and its Republican Mayor — are not having a good Friday morning.
A new chapter in the fight to keep Donald Trump’s Deportation Force out of Florida’s Miami-Dade County, a place where over half its residents have been born abroad, began this morning when a circuit judge ruled that Miami-Dade’s anti-immigrant detainer policy violated the Tenth Amendment.
How Miami-Dade’s Anti-Immigrant Policy Began
At the center of Judge Milton Hirsch’s ruling lies a misguided decision by Republican Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the County Commission, that sparked widespread outrage from local residents, immigration advocates, and even former city mayors who demanded local elected officials do more to protect immigrants from Trump’s anti-immigrant policies.
Caving under pressure from Donald Trump, Mayor Gimenez struck down a County resolution back in January that kept Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of county jails, citing fears that the county could lose federal funding. The Miami Herald reports:
The judge’s ruling was a rebuke of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s decision – in the face of potential cuts in federal funding – to allow county jails to hold immigrants awaiting deportation by federal agents. The measure has sparked protests and anger by many immigration advocates in South Florida…
Since 2013, Miami-Dade County had stopped honoring most requests by federal authorities to hold undocumented or deportable jail inmates, even though their sentences were up or their cases closed. County officials expressed concern because the feds were not reimbursing the cost of detaining.
Judge Hirsch Takes on Mayor Gimenez
Now, Judge Hirsch is taking issue with Miami-Dade’s anti-immigrant posture:
“Of course we must protect our country from the problems associated with unregulated immigrations,” Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch wrote. “We must protect our country from a great many things; but from nothing so much so much as from the loss of our historic rights and liberties”…
“Coercion achieved by financial starvation is no less effective than coercion achieve at sword’s point,” Judge Hirsch wrote.
Miami-Dade county is planning to appeal Judge Milton Hirsch’s ruling:
It is Miami-Dade County’s position that immigration is a federal issue which should be handled in federal court. (1/2)
— Mike Hernández (@HernandezMA5) March 3, 2017
Miami-Dade County is planning an immediate appeal to the Third District Court of Appeal. (2/2)
— Mike Hernández (@HernandezMA5) March 3, 2017
