Florida lawmakers discuss a potential ICE facility in Central Florida as the state’s gubernatorial race kicks into gear, and Trump narrows in on deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.
Florida lawmakers discuss a potential new immigration facility in Central Florida
White House Border Czar Tom Homan says he has ordered federal immigration authorities to work on a draw-down plan for law enforcement in Minnesota.
Today’s announcement comes after two recent shooting deaths of U.S. citizens by federal agents.
Homan said he wants to improve immigration operations and make them safer.
Homan acknowledged that Americans have a right to protest, and he supports free speech. He also says immigration officers will only target migrants with convictions or facing criminal charges.
And agents will be less focused on street operations and spend more time working in jails.
Ice has also been a flashpoint in Orange County.
It started months ago with tension between Democratic Mayor Jerry Demings and Gov. Ron DeSantis over cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
There has also recently been pushback from Orange County Democrats of a new possible ICE facility in Orlando.
Today, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds went to that potential facility.
Donalds is running in the Republican primary for governor, and Demings is running in the Democratic primary for governor.
Donalds spoke with Spectrum News over their differences on immigration enforcement. See the full interview above.
Democratic Rep. Darren Soto was part of an ICE reform roundtable with religious and civil leaders from the community.
After the event, he said people are upset about what is happening nationally.
“My opinion is that we don’t need additional ICE facilities so that they could try to ramp up deportation efforts even more. It’s a warehouse, so I have deep concerns about the humanitarian ability for them to be able to provide what they’re supposed to provide at a makeshift facility like that. And I’ve heard from thousands of constituents about their opposition to it, and so we’ll continue to oppose the location of an ice facility in eastern Orlando,” Soto said.
As part of his oversight duties, today Soto also saw the current local ICE facility, which is located at the Orange County Jail.
Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert government shutdown
Democrats and White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.
As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund DHS for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday.
Trump said in a social media post that “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September,” while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”
Democrats have requested a short extension—two weeks or less—and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their demands aren’t met, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and potentially triggering a shutdown.
Republicans were pushing for a longer extension of the Homeland Security funding, but the two sides were “getting closer,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.