A.G. Gancarski
Florida’s Attorney General says Jacksonville’s Mayor would be out of line if she vetoes a local crackdown on illegal immigration that the City Council passed this week.
“No excuses,” said Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier as Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan mulls a veto of the “Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act,” which would make being unlawfully in the country a “local crime” in the city, punishable with jail time.
Deegan says the bill is “redundant” and she worries about “unintended consequences.”
But Uthmeier, appointed recently by Gov. Ron DeSantis, said a veto would bring consequences of its own for flouting state law and not doing “everything possible with the resources they have to help the federal government execute federal immigration laws.”
“That has been made clear, and if a city official takes action to impede or prevent law enforcement from undergoing the necessary training and participating with the feds to get these people back where they came from, then I do believe the law is violated and that there will be penalties for that,” Uthmeier said Thursday at the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
“So everybody in local government should be on notice. This is not discretionary. We as a state made a decision, our Legislature voted, and the Governor signed a bill that made very clear we are going to work with the federal government and we are going to execute federal immigration laws.”
Mayor Deegan is offering “no comment,” per a spox. Yet pressure is building.
Gov. DeSantis also 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 by Deegan’s dawdling.
“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.
Meanwhile, Councilman Rory Diamond wants a binding opinion from the General Counsel regarding whether Deegan can legally veto or sign the legislation without violating local, state, or federal law.
18 comments
Peachy
March 27, 2025 at 11:24 am
Love it. Calling out the lib. JAX, get rid of this Kalifornia wannabe.
Carol Rosario
March 27, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Where I live in Florida, our town is split into 8 areas. One policeman is assigned to each area – that’s it. We do not have the funding or capacity to do the work of the federal government. Desantis is notorious for spending our tax money in unsupportable ways. Plus, most undocumented immigrants survive under the radar, don’t make trouble. We need these workers. 14 yr olds working over night shifts before going to school? Let De Santis’ kids do that. That is not a solution. De Santis should not have put us in this position.
Bonita
March 27, 2025 at 9:09 pm
DeSantis in no way put you in that position. Biden with his open borders, and riot-thirsty liberals who don’t care what happens to this country are at fault. Once your tax dollars are preserved by not having to pay for non-citizens you will have enough to strengthen your police coverage.
MH/Duuuval
March 27, 2025 at 9:30 pm
The crime rate is higher among American-born citizens than among migrants without citizenship.
Of course, thanks to posers like Dee, the cost for dealing with migrants — who may end up in some instances being targeted based on skin tone or accent — is certainly going up. Local police are now on the front line of ICE.
SuzyQ
March 28, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Show credible proof rather than political talking points.
MH/Duuuval
March 29, 2025 at 2:44 pm
The crime rate stats I quoted are easy to find, online.
Law enforcement has been placed on the front lines of immigration control and removal in Florida and elsewhere. Do you imagine that won’t cost more money, or are you satisfied that this is a proper use of existing tax dollars — even if local policing suffers?
George
March 27, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Stay in your lane, little Jimmy. Remember, you’ll never be as big a snake as Uncle Ronnie.
MH/Duuuval
March 27, 2025 at 3:09 pm
@Mdixon55: Florida Attorney General signaling he could suspend Democratic Mayor of Jacksonville over immigration fight
G’head, Dee, bring it!
SuzyQ
March 27, 2025 at 9:54 pm
He shall and then some, to wit, bold leadership.
MH/Duuuval
March 28, 2025 at 9:10 am
Bold? No, presumptuous and overreaching.
SuzyQ
March 28, 2025 at 6:58 pm
Yet explicitly onstitutional. Another document you cite as a leftwing talking point yet have never read.
MH/Duuuval
March 29, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Wrong again, and press;mptuous of you to say that.
You might want to review Marbury v. Madison before you encourage MAGAs to keep shaking the foundations of government.
“Not a government of men, but of laws” is being eroded by Trump’s persnalismo.
Earl Pitts American
March 27, 2025 at 8:48 pm
Good evening James,
I, Earl Pitts American, had an oppurtunity to hook-up with Donna about this important issue and she agreed to hold back on her veto.
FYI:
This was strictly a business meeting and had nothing whatsoever to do with my, Earl Pitts American’s, multi-desires to spend quality time with World Class Hot MlLF’s.
Your welcome, James,
Earl Pitts American
Brenda Vaccale
March 28, 2025 at 7:57 am
Who the F does this clown think he is? 2 months ago this little creep was just a hack aide to DeSantis. Now he’s telling elected mayors what to do?? Get lost, jackass! And shave that lame-ass beard while you’re at it.
SuzyQ
March 28, 2025 at 7:02 pm
She will be constitutionally suspended if the Jacksonville mayor thinks she’s in California and vetoes it. From constitutional suspension to political irrelevancy.
MH/Duuuval
March 29, 2025 at 2:52 pm
This impending battle of the titans is likely to go to the Supreme Court and, in the interim, Deegan should be permitted by the courts to continue holding her job.
California has nothing to do with it, Peachy.
Paul S.B.
March 31, 2025 at 3:01 pm
If people are not concerned about the State A.G. Who happens to be unelected right now, telling local governments what to do. Local officials work for their local residents, not the governor, not the AG. This is depressing and that people don’t see this is insane. I don’t care what side of this immigration battle you are on. We have State officials threatening local officials to do what they say or face penalties, removal from office, or even jail. That is not a democratic republic, that is a dictatorship.
JD
March 31, 2025 at 3:11 pm
There is a third option for Deegan—she doesn’t have to veto or sign the bill to oppose it effectively. Jacksonville’s charter allows an ordinance to become law after 10 days without mayoral action. She can simply let it pass without her signature, avoiding both direct endorsement and direct defiance.
From there, she can neuter the ordinance using her administrative and budgetary powers:
1. Budget Constraints – Refuse to fund enforcement. Require all costs to be covered by state or federal sources. No local taxpayer dollars spent on this unfunded mandate.
2. Public Safety Prioritization – Direct JSO to prioritize violent crime and public safety over immigration enforcement. Use discretion to avoid reassigning limited personnel.
3. Federal MOU Requirement – Require a formal Memorandum of Understanding with DHS or ICE before any city cooperation. If none exists, no cooperation.
4. Executive Order – Issue an EO stating no department may spend time or money enforcing this law without external funding.
All of this avoids direct noncompliance while making enforcement impossible in practice. If the state wants it enforced, they’ll have to fund it or sue for it. That’s the strongest legal play she can make without risking suspension.
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