RELATED: ‘This is not discretionary’: Florida AG issues warning as Jacksonville Mayor weighs immigration bill
Leaders are reacting after the Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday night passed an immigration bill that would make it a local crime to be in Duval County without legal status.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan can:
- Sign the bill
- Do not sign the bill and let it become law
- Veto the bill
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She has until the next City Council meeting to decide what to do.
Last week, Action News Jax told you when Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a letter to Fort Myers City Council members after they rejected a proposal that would have increased the local police department’s cooperation with ICE.
Uthmeier suggested city leaders could face civil and criminal penalties, or even be removed from office.
On Wednesday morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the passage of Jacksonville’s bill, saying it empowers the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office “to assist in the enforcement of laws against illegal immigration.”
Here’s the full statement DeSantis posted on X:
“Great job to the City of Jacksonville in following Florida law and empowering their law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. I am pleased to see this follow from our work in the special session I called in January to insist that all state and local entities participate in immigration enforcement.”
Deegan released a statement on Wednesday afternoon, saying she is asking the city’s lawyers if the law could open the city up to potential lawsuits.
She said she would take her time to review the law, but would provide JSO with fingerprint scanners since the City Council allocated the money.
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Here is Deegan’s full statement:
“We are continuing to review Ordinance #2025-0147-E now that it has passed the City Council. When it was first filed, I raised the issue of redundancy with existing state and federal laws. That concern remains today.
“My team is working with the Office of General Counsel to review potential unintended consequences, including the risk that the City of Jacksonville could face a lawsuit that requires taxpayer dollars to defend. This is not hypothetical. A case involving the State of Texas is currently moving through the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“This is a decision we must get right for our community, and it is not one that I intend to rush. Regardless of that, we will make sure that JSO receives the fingerprint scanners they have requested. While my preference was for state funding to be tapped, the City Council has passed an appropriation that we will move forward.
“Jacksonville will always follow local, state, and federal laws that are constitutional, and we will always ensure our first responders have the tools they need to do their difficult jobs.”
City Council Vice President Kevin Carrico, who introduced the legislation, called on Deegan to act.
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Here is the statement released by his office:
“Mayor Deegan’s refusal to sign the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act is unconscionable. This bill is simple: it aligns our city with the priorities of the President and Governor, cracks down on those who break the law, and gives the Sheriff’s Office the resources it needs to enforce state law and keep our community safe.
“Instead of doing her job, the Mayor is hiding behind her lawyer, Mr. Fackler — the same bureaucrat who was publicly admonished by the City Council just last night for failing to do his job. Donna Deegan is not leading — she’s making excuses.
“Jacksonville doesn’t need more delay, deflection, or lawyer double speak — it needs bold leadership from a Mayor who will enforce the law, not one who hides behind lawyers and runs from responsibility.”
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