Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier // Chris Young, WMNF News, 4/17/2026
Listen:
Attorney General James Uthmeier spoke on his March threat to remove Tampa Mayor Jane Castor from office.
Uthmeier was at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club on Friday.
Uthemeier took a question regarding a public warning he sent in March to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, threatening to have her removed from office.
On social media, he posted a letter saying Castor was forcing ‘sanctuary policies’ on Tampa Police by reducing police cooperation with immigration enforcement.
“First and foremost, when it comes to the mayor, there is a statutory duty, as I’ve said, to engage in best efforts to support the federal government with immigration enforcement. That’s not gobblygook, that is Florida law. So if you’re somebody that’s indicating that you’re no longer going to engage in the 287(g process, you’re no longer going to provide support when asked – without a good justification, you’re breaking the law.” Uthmeier told the crowd.
Castor responded with a revised policy for TPD.
Among other things, it included the removal of a restriction for police to investigate the legal status of a victim or witness of a crime.
Last year, the Tampa Police Department signed a 287(g) agreement, which allows local law enforcement some powers under ICE for federal immigration enforcement.
Uthmeier addressed criticism of his $100,000 salary for teaching at the University of Florida.
Tiger Bay participant Gary Dolgin asked Uthmeier the question.
GD: As a public servant, why not speak to students at the University of Florida or any other public institution without receiving additional taxpayer dollars? And if you believe $140,000 is not enough of a salary for you, why not lobby the legislature for an increase in your pay or go into the private sector?
JU: A lot of questions in one, but I’ll handle them. So, first of all, you know, I always want I’ve always wanted to teach when I was finishing my time in the Governor’s office, before I was appointed Attorney General, my plan was, was to go and teach. I think the students get a lot out of it. University of Florida asked me to come in. In addition to the two courses I teach, I also advise their law and government program and work to get students placed in jobs with judges as clerks, as well as with the state and federal governments. I think you’re going to see Florida go way up in the rankings here in the next year as we continue to increase Bar passage and employment rates. UF have really wanted me to do this, and I was happy to do it. I think they get a lot of value out of it.