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City manager: pending immigration legislation is fluid; Altamonte Springs police monitoring and will follow law
Summary
City Manager reported Feb. 4 that pending immigration-related legislation under consideration at the state level could affect law enforcement duties; city leadership has met with police leaders and legislative representatives and will comply with applicable law while protecting officers from unfair perceptions.
City Manager addressed the commission on Feb. 4 about pending immigration-related legislation under consideration in Tallahassee and Washington and said the city is monitoring developments closely for any implications for local law enforcement.
The manager said the proposed measures debated in a special session and associated bills differ in scope and how they would involve local law enforcement. "I want to make sure that our police officers are not targeted for a perception that they may not have done something that somebody would have liked for them to have done," the City Manager said, adding that "of course, we will do whatever the law says that we should do." The manager said they had discussed concerns with the city's legislative representatives and with police leadership, including Chief Riggs, incoming Chief Nicholas and Deputy Chief Steenkamp.
The City Manager described the situation as "extremely fluid" and said city police leadership and regional partners — including the Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol — were engaged and watching developments closely. The manager also noted a preexisting agreement between the Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement dating to 2019 that relates to people already in custody; no change to that local agreement was proposed at the meeting.
No formal directive or ordinance was proposed or adopted by the commission during the meeting. The manager said he would keep the commission updated if developments required further action.
