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Doral council pulls 287(g) training item after extended public opposition
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Doral City Council to reject or delay a proposed agreement to participate in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program; council members removed the item from the consent agenda for later discussion and the consent agenda passed without it.
The Doral City Council on April 16, 2025, removed from the consent agenda a proposed local participation in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program after a lengthy public comment period in which multiple residents urged delay or rejection. Speakers described the proposed partnership as a threat to community trust and public safety and asked the council to wait for pending litigation about state requirements.
Public commenters told the council the measure would deputize local police to perform immigration enforcement and would chill reporting to police. “Turning Doral's police into an arm of federal immigration enforcement destroys trust,” said Adelis Ferro, who described himself as a Venezuelan American resident. Amanda Sherlock, a 20-year Doral resident, told the council, “Deputizing our police to become mini ICE agents is not going to accomplish that.” Attorney Zora Caracci said the agreement “isn’t just a policy. It’s a gateway to fear, family separation, and racial profiling.”
Speakers cited past Department of Justice probes and current litigation involving other Florida municipalities, and they urged Doral to await a court ruling in a lawsuit involving South Miami. “There is no deadline in the state statute for signing this agreement,” Juan Cuba told the council, and others pressed the council to defer the matter so legal questions can be resolved. Laura Kelly, an immigration attorney and Doral business owner, urged the council to ask specific operational questions of the police chief, including how long officers would detain people under civil immigration warrants.
Council members had earlier pulled several consent items including the one referencing 287(g); the consent agenda was approved later in the meeting with those items excluded. No formal vote on joining the 287(g) program occurred during the April 16 morning session; council members indicated the pulled items will be taken up at a later time or in the evening session. The council did not adopt any policy or enter a formal agreement on 287(g) during this meeting.
The council will consider the pulled items in a subsequent session; speakers and some council members recommended the city wait for the outcome of a pending state-court challenge in Leon County before taking action.
