Winter Haven police outlined how a new task-force agreement tied to FloridaSenate Bill 2C would change processing and coordination with federal immigration authorities, telling the City Commission the change is procedural and intended to comply with the state law.

Chief Lance Monroe said the task-force agreement will "allow us the ability to question individuals about their immigration status," but emphasized it is not intended to authorize random street roundups. "We're not gonna be stopping people just to check their immigration status," Monroe said. He added the agreement would allow officers to transport individuals to federal facilities in Orlando or Tampa when required and that ICE will provide training for department personnel.

City staff said the memorandum of understanding with ICE mirrors similar agreements used by other local jurisdictions and that the change formalizes processes already performed when an officer discovers a federal warrant. "If we arrest somebody and we identify that they do not have legal status, we are required to report that back to ICE," staff said, describing the process as folding immigration checks into the department's existing booking and warrant-handling procedures.

Chief Monroe and staff also told commissioners that, under the proposed protocol, the same screening questions will be asked of all persons encountered during the relevant booking or processing steps (for example, asking place of birth), to ensure uniformity. Staff warned that declining to participate could put federal or state funds at risk: "the downside of not engaging in the memorandum of understanding would be the likelihood of having any federal funds or state funds withheld from the city of Winter Haven," staff said.

Commissioners asked operational questions about how and when questions would be asked and whether everyone stopped would be asked about immigration status; Monroe responded that everyone would be asked the same questions in the stipulated circumstances. No formal vote on the agreement occurred during the workshop; staff presented the item for the commission's consideration.