DeSantis administration responds to South Miami’s challenge to immigration law enforcement

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration asked a judge Friday to dismiss a lawsuit by the city of South Miami in opposition to deputizing police officers as federal agents to enforce immigration law.

In a 35-page motion to dismiss the case in Leon County, the state claimed that the city’s “failure” to join the Immigration and Customs Enforcement‘s 287(g) program “can indeed reveal a sanctuary policy.”

The motion also claims that the state’s sanctuary-policy law comes with “obligations” and South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez had no standing to file the lawsuit against DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Since Florida expanded the law known as Chapter 908 to require local police to execute 287(g) agreements, the state equated the city’s refusal to the implementation of a “sanctuary” policy, records show.

In the lawsuit, Fernandez claimed the city’s police officers do cooperate with ICE by sharing information and could not afford the liability that comes with federal law enforcement duties.

The state claimed Fernandez was speculating about “possible future injury” and raising “vague” fears and argued that The city is “not entitled to the relief requested.”

Local 10 News This Week In South Florida Anchor Glenna Milberg contributed to this report.