Hundreds of residents urge council to reject proposed anti-immigrant ordinances; council considers JSO fingerprinting funding

Dozens of Jacksonville residents and scores of community groups addressed the City Council during a long public-comment session on March 11 to oppose two proposed ordinances — listed in the meeting record as 20250138 and 20250147 — that supporters have framed as measures to ensure taxpayer-funded city services go to residents but critics say would scapegoat and criminalize immigrants.

Those who spoke against the ordinances included community organizers, faith leaders and veterans. Several speakers, including Maria Garcia and Vanessa Alvarez of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, said the bills would create an atmosphere of fear that would discourage immigrants from accessing basic services, reporting crimes, or sending children to school. “Denying city services to immigrants doesn’t just hurt them — it hurts the whole community,” Maria Garcia said during public comment.

Many speakers specifically objected to an element of the package that would fund mobile fingerprinting devices for the Jacksonville…