Local Officials Respond to ICE Concerns at United Church of Gainesville
On Sunday, March 1, dozens of people gathered for an event at the United Church of Gainesville about local ICE activity.
The event was hosted by Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, School Board Member Sarah Rockwell, County Commissioner Anna Prizzia and Sheriff Chad Scott.
There had been rumors spread on Facebook saying that 75 ICE agents had booked a hotel in downtown Gainesville. The rumor was dismissed as false by Ward. The rumor prompted attendees to seek clarity and reassurance, but what they received from the dais was a more complicated message about the limits of local power.
Posters saying to cancel 287(g) agreements were placed on many seats. However, Rockwell and Scott both defended 287(g) agreements, saying that they help keep ICE out.
Sheriff Chad Scott argued that his deputies are not immigration agents and that the 287(g) program, as implemented locally, creates a firewall. He stated that it allows his office to book someone into jail on state charges without holding them for ICE unless a federal warrant is presented. He characterized it as a way to maintain local control.
The format of the evening allowed for direct civic engagement. Cards and pencils were placed on every seat so attendees could write down questions for the panel of four local politicians.
The questions reflected a community deeply worried about the future, probing the limits of what local leaders can do to resist or shield residents from federal immigration actions.
Ward and Prizzia both stated that a lot of the answers are going to be unsatisfactory for people. The general attitude by the people who attended was mixed. Many believed that the four politicians weren't prepared for ICE to come to Gainesville and weren't doing enough.
The consensus among a group of advocates huddling outside afterward was that while the rumor of 70 ICE agents was false, the fear driving that rumor was very real—and they felt the county's preparedness amounted to little more than a promise to follow the rules while the rules themselves are changing.
