Orange County commissioners ratify warrant-service agreement with ICE after hours of public comment

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously March 25 to ratify a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that allows Orange County Corrections personnel to participate in ICE’s warrant-service program.

Supporters of the ratification said the county had little legal choice after the Florida Legislature adopted a law requiring all counties to enter the agreements. Dissenting speakers at public comment said the local action will chill immigrant communities and called for stronger transparency and limits.

Why it matters: The agreement formalizes a process in which corrections staff will execute immigration arrest warrants or transfers in the jail — a function county attorneys said differs from the street-level investigative role that sheriff’s deputies might perform under separate agreements. Opponents warned the agreement will expand local enforcement of immigration policy and undermine trust between immigrant residents and law enforcement.

The debate and vote: Assistant County Attorney Scott Chabonel told the commission the statute requiring counties to sign the MOA has been in place in modified form since 2022 and that the recent change left local governments with limited options. “The state law mandates that we enter into these agreements,” Chabonel said during the hearing. County Administrator Byron Brooks said he initially held off signing but ultimately signed the MOA when advised the county faced legal and financial risks if it did not comply with the deadline set by state authorities.

Correctional staff described their narrower role in the agreement. Orange County Corrections Chief Quinones told commissioners the facilities would continue to take persons arrested by law enforcement agencies and noted the changes being implemented center on serving warrants at the jail rather than initiating investigations in the field. Quinones said the department has identified staff to receive ICE training and will monitor how much time warrant execution consumes.

Public comment: More than 40 members of the public addressed the board during an extended public-comment period. Many speakers urged the county to refuse the agreement or to require strict transparency and reporting limits. Immigrant-rights organizers demanded monthly public reporting about detentions and how long people were being held; attorneys and civic groups warned of the risk of families being separated. Sister Anne Kendrick, who said she has worked with immigrants for 50 years, told commissioners, “Families, the people that I work with, are traumatized.”

County response and safeguards: County staff and legal advisors repeatedly told the board the MOA covers warrant-service activity involving people who are already in custody, and does not authorize corrections officers to conduct the investigative functions that belong to federal agents or to deputized sheriff’s personnel under separate arrangements. County staff also reported that the county has previously hosted federal inmates under a U.S. Marshals contract and receives federal per-diem reimbursement in those cases. The board requested follow-up on several operational items, including: clear public notice when an ICE hold is lodged at the jail; how family members can find whether a detained person is being held on an ICE matter; and how often ICE picks up transferred persons within the federal holding period.

Vote: Commissioner Angelique Moore moved to ratify the MOA; Commissioner Wilson seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

What comes next: Commissioners directed staff to meet with Orange County Public Schools, the county attorney and corrections staff to refine procedures the board had asked for — notably clearer public notice, an OCPS coordination process, and additional reporting about detentions and transfers. They scheduled follow-up policy work on the county’s broader Vision 2050/Orange Code planning process, which has been linked by school officials to potential new housing entitlements.

Ending: The meeting underscored a legal bind local governments face when state law demands collaboration with federal immigration enforcement. Commissioners said they would press for administrative safeguards and public reporting while the county implements the MOA.