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At the podium: a cross-section of public testimony on the ICE MOA
Summary
Public comments at the Fort Myers City Council meeting ran hours and included veterans, attorneys, faith leaders, immigrant residents and business owners who addressed safety, economics, civil rights and local policing culture.
More than an hour of public comment included a wide range of testimony: veterans who urged enforcement framed as protecting officers; immigration attorneys and immigrant‑led coalitions who warned of racialized enforcement and economic consequences; and business and faith leaders who urged caution and asked for written clarity on the MOA’s effects.
Representatives of the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Haitian American Community Coalition emphasized the economic and civic contributions of immigrant residents and warned that the MOA could prompt people to leave the city. Multiple speakers asked that the council prioritize local budgets and services over spending taxpayer dollars on training for a program they argued ICE should fund and manage directly.
