Winter Haven commission approves MOA with ICE under Florida Senate Bill 2C after lengthy public comment

The Winter Haven City Commission voted 3-1 Monday to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that commits the Winter Haven Police Department to procedures for responding to federal immigration requests under Florida Senate Bill 2C.

The ordinance-size MOA, listed on the consent agenda as item 10f, formalizes local processes for honoring lawful ICE detainer requests, asking immigration-status questions during booking, and transferring detainees to federal custody when required by state law. City staff and police leaders said the MOA documents practices the department must follow under state statute and does not authorize street-level immigration roundups.

City Manager (name not specified) told the commission the MOA “memorializes” requirements stemming from the special-session bill signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and described the 287(g)-style partnership as “no different really than what we do with other federal agencies.” Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Charlie Byrd and Police Chief Vance Monroe also described the MOA as a written step in a process that already involved fingerprinting, Polk County booking procedures and ICE coordination.

Public comment was lengthy and strongly opposed. More than two dozen speakers urged the commission to reject the MOA, saying it would erode trust between immigrant communities and police and could lead to racial profiling, family separations and legal exposure for the city. Speaker Matthew Crowley said, “This agreement would allow our local officers to take on the role of federal immigration agents,” and warned it would “make people afraid to call for help.” Several speakers cited local Polk County enforcement data and examples from other jurisdictions to argue the MOA would harm public safety and community trust.

Commissioners debated the legal and fiscal consequences of rejecting the MOA. City staff warned that declining to memorialize the agreement could put the city out of compliance with state law and risk state funding or legal challenges. After discussion the commission approved the motion to accept the MOA by a 3-to-1 vote. The record shows one commissioner opposed and one commission seat was absent for the vote.

The MOA’s language requires honoring lawful detainer requests, asking about immigration status during arrest booking as directed by state law, and assisting in transfers to federal custody. City officials said local officers will not conduct generalized immigration enforcement or “round up” people in the community, and any custody transfers would follow Polk County booking and ICE procedures.

The commission’s approval does not change state law or ICE policy. The police chief and assistant city manager said the department will continue to apply existing constitutional and departmental safeguards when responding to federal requests. The commission did not attach additional local policy restrictions to the MOA at the meeting.

The item drew sustained public attention and drew the commission into a broader conversation about state mandates, local public safety priorities, and community trust. The city manager and police leadership said they will continue public outreach to explain how the MOA will be implemented and how it interacts with Polk County booking procedures.

The commission moved on to other items after the vote; the MOA will be retained in the meeting record and the department will implement the registered procedures in coordination with Polk County and ICE as described in the MOA.