Veto coming? Donna Deegan worries Jacksonville illegal immigration crackdown may have ‘unintended consequences’

Jacksonville is the first city where the City Council has passed a bill cracking down on illegal immigration, declaring it a “local crime” punishable by imprisonment.

But it’s not a given that Mayor Donna Deegan will sign off on it.

For starters, she questions its utility. And she also worries that the bill may have bad effects the legislative branch didn’t anticipate.

“When it was first filed, I raised the issue of redundancy with existing state and federal laws. That concern remains today,” Deegan said.

“My team is working with the Office of General Counsel to review potential unintended consequences, including the risk that the City of Jacksonville could face a lawsuit that requires taxpayer dollars to defend. This is not hypothetical. A case involving the State of Texas is currently moving through the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.”

She’s bucking Gov. Ron DeSantis, who wants the bill signed.

“Great job to the City of Jacksonville in following Florida law and empowering their law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. I am pleased to see this follow from our work in the special session I called in January to insist that all state and local entities participate in immigration enforcement,” he posted to social media Wednesday.

And bill sponsor Kevin Carrico, the current Council Vice President who will become President in July, is outraged.

“Mayor Deegan’s refusal to sign the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act is unconscionable. This bill is simple: it aligns our city with the priorities of the President and Governor, cracks down on those who break the law, and gives the Sheriff’s Office the resources it needs to enforce state law and keep our community safe,” Carrico told Florida Politics.

He went on to argue that the General Counsel is actually in the Mayor’s pocket.

“Instead of doing her job, the Mayor is hiding behind her lawyer, Mr. Michael Fackler — the same bureaucrat who was publicly admonished by the City Council just last night for failing to do his job. Donna Deegan is not leading — she’s making excuses,” Carrico said. “Jacksonville doesn’t need more delay, deflection, or lawyer double speak  — it needs bold leadership from a Mayor who will enforce the law, not one who hides behind lawyers and runs from responsibility.”

Despite her qualms about the portion of the legislation that would punish illegal immigrants, she is willing to commit money for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) to buy more mobile fingerprint readers.

“This is a decision we must get right for our community, and it is not one that I intend to rush,” she said.

“Regardless of that, we will make sure that JSO receives the fingerprint scanners they have requested. While my preference was for state funding to be tapped, the City Council has passed an appropriation that we will move forward. Jacksonville will always follow local, state, and federal laws that are constitutional, and we will always ensure our first responders have the tools they need to do their difficult jobs.”