Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is accusing Tampa Mayor Jane Castor of forcing sanctuary policies on Tampa police.
In a letter to Castor, Uthmeier said the Tampa Police Department doesn’t allow officers to share information with federal immigration officers, including victims or witnesses of a crime of if they are in the country illegally.
The attorney general said the police department’s policies also bar officers from engaging in broad-based immigration enforcement actions.
He ordered Castor to order that the policies be reversed. He said failing to do so could result in civil penatlties and threatened to remove from Castor from office.
Wednesday evening, Castor responded and said:
“In light of the Attorney General’s letter today, the City of Tampa will review the concerns raised and evaluate our policies and procedures to ensure that we use best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law. Tampa is one of the safest cities of our size in the nation because we built trust with our community through collaboration. The Tampa Police Department signed the 287(g) and developed its immigration enforcement policy in consultation with partner agencies and law enforcement associations to ensure all immigration-related actions are carried out according to state and federal law.”
Mayor Castor is forcing sanctuary policies on the Tampa Police Department, which violates Florida law.
These policies must be reversed immediately, or there will be consequences. pic.twitter.com/Z8SfRu9vFT
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) March 11, 2026