In a dramatic policy reversal, the Key West City Commission voted Tuesday to reinstate its partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program — just days after voting to dissolve it.
The shift comes amid intense backlash from Florida state officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier, who warned the city that severing the agreement could violate state law prohibiting sanctuary cities.
Just one week ago, the commission voted 5-1 to end the city’s participation in the 287(g) agreement — a cooperative program that allows local law enforcement to work with federal immigration officers to identify and detain illegal immigrants, particularly those involved in criminal activity.
Commissioner Lissette Carey, the lone dissenting voice in that original vote, praised the reversal during an emergency meeting held Tuesday night, where the commission voted 4-2 to reinstate the agreement.
“We absolutely have to support and follow the law of our state and federal government,” Carey told Fox News Digital. “I was shocked that I was the standalone vote and that my colleagues didn’t understand the severity of terminating the agreement.”
The reversal came after Attorney General Uthmeier issued a scathing warning last week, accusing the commission of attempting to establish a sanctuary city in violation of Florida law.
“They have a choice: stop impeding law enforcement from enforcing immigration law or face the consequences,” Uthmeier wrote in a post on social media, adding that commissioners could face civil and criminal penalties, including removal from office.
The DeSantis administration has made cooperation with federal immigration enforcement a legal requirement under state law, passed in 2023. The law obliges local governments to use “best efforts” to support federal agencies in enforcing immigration law — a clear rebuke of sanctuary city policies common in deep-blue states like California and New York.
While the decision pleased state leaders and immigration hawks, it drew outrage from open-border advocates and some local residents, several of whom stormed out of the Tuesday meeting in protest.
Opponents argue the program creates fear in immigrant communities — even among legal residents — and discourages cooperation with law enforcement. But Carey said her conversations with legal immigrants in Key West revealed a different concern: that their trust in public safety was undermined by cutting off cooperation with ICE.
The commission’s original rationale for terminating the agreement was procedural: they argued that because the police chief, rather than the city manager, had signed the agreement, it was not legally valid.
However, Carey and others pushed back on that claim. During Tuesday’s vote, she worked to clarify that the agreement had been authorized properly, as the city manager had delegated signing authority to the police chief — a standard practice, according to city officials.
The commission ultimately chose to reinstate the agreement, rather than enter into a new one, implicitly acknowledging its original validity.
Key West’s about-face could have significant ripple effects throughout Florida. The City of South Miami, for example, is currently suing the DeSantis administration to challenge the state’s requirement that localities participate in immigration enforcement.
But unlike Key West declined to join the lawsuit, choosing instead to realign with the state’s immigration policy — a clear sign that the pressure campaign from Tallahassee is proving effective on dissenting localities.
Commissioner Carey, whose own family immigrated legally from Cuba to flee communism, emphasized that respecting immigration law is not anti-immigrant — it’s pro-order and pro-security.
Key West’s decision to rejoin ICE’s 287(g) program sends a clear message: in Florida, cities don’t get to pick and choose which immigration laws to enforce. The reversal reflects a recognition that partnerships between federal and local law enforcement are vital to keeping communities safe.
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Immigrants if they are in the USA illegally MUST LEAVE and there are two ways. Self deport and possibly seek asylum legally from their own countries or get picked up by ICE with no hope of coming back. And you knnow what I don’t care! Been watching this farce of protecting those who crash our borders and I am sick of it. I have been against this farmers and now hotel owners dependency on these cheat lying laborers.
Herd them up where ever they are hiding, load em up and ship them back to their points of origin. COME HERE LEGALLY OR DO NOT COME AT ALL.
There is certain amount of questioning I would like to do of these protestors for illegal aliens. There is no reason really to protect them because they broke the law coming here on one legality but there is always more. I want those who are protesting to explain why they are doing it. I am sure no one has a good enough excuse if they all understood the illegal aliens and their intentions but I am willing to hear their excuses. Just can’t say I will not call them out on their many reasons to step in and protest!
I live in AZ and mostly on the border and have seen way too much since the 1960s to believe in any lies or excuses especially from the do gooders who think it is gods will or whatever. And if you married one or want to help them that much, go with them to their real homes and take your kiddies and your own purses to do gooder stuff.
Also when you cross that USA border make sure you and your progeny can speak english and are educated enough not to require special services. This is NOT a bilinqual educational system of schools, nor should it be. I detest all the educators who have facilitated this second language crap! Most of those teachers in my parent experience can’t speak english all that well themselves. I have had that experience as well and even with my grandchildren and it did NOT END WELL FOR THE TEACHER. I was furious. And I am a retired CPA, BSA, Programmer in mainframe and front end systems until 2004. That means I have a good education and am sick of schools dropping education levels due to lowered standards which I have experienced!!!
I’m glad that Key West is not on my bucket list these days.Boycott these sick individuals that allows the island to get destroyed .