Democratic State Representative and candidate for Orlando Mayor Anna Eskamani responded to federal officials considering opening an immigration detention facility in Orlando. She called on local decision-makers to reject any proposal to open an ICE detention facility in Orlando, but the entire City Council and Mayor Buddy Dyer remain silent on this pressing issue.
The progressive Democrat slammed the idea of expanding detention space in Orlando and said it “sends a chilling message” to the community.
“The idea of expanding ICE detention in Orlando comes at a moment when immigration enforcement has increasingly looked like vigilante-style policing: aggressive street actions, broken windows, people dragged from cars, and even U.S. citizens being detained in the chaos and killed,” said State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, a Democrat running for Orlando Mayor. “That isn’t ‘public safety.’ It’s intimidation, and it sends a chilling message to families, workers, students, and visitors that any interaction could become a frightening encounter with the federal government.”
She posted that her office has been monitoring and responding to the escalation of ICE activities in the greater Orlando area.
“Independent oversight has warned that DHS and ICE have had major failures in how they identify and handle people who may be U.S. citizens, including recommendations that ICE improve training and data collection on these encounters,” State Rep. Eskamani continued. “When a system can’t reliably protect citizens’ rights and due process, expanding detention capacity is not just wrong. It’s dangerous.”
The leading Democrat for Orlando Mayor in 2027 made it clear, saying “absolutely not,” about an ICE detention facility in Orlando. When asked by West Orlando News, the City of Orlando and Mayor Buddy Dyer declined to answer any questions. Why are they scared to share what they think? City spokesperson Ashley Papagni declined to respond to multiple attempts of asking: Do the City of Orlando, Mayor, and City Commissioners support ICE and federal cooperation? Does the City of Orlando (including Commissioners) believe ICE contracts should be rejected, and that local government and law enforcement should refuse to cooperate with ICE or federal partners?
Mayor Buddy Dyer, also a Democrat like Anna Eskamani, will not say where he stands on this immigration enforcement issue, although he has previously signed an agreement to cooperate. Commissioners Tom Keen, Tony Ortiz, Roger Chapin, Shan Rose, and Bakari Burns all declined to comment on the same questions. Not one single Orlando Commissioner had any thoughts or response to ICE enforcement when asked by WON. Commissioner Patty Sheehan is out of the office and unavailable for comment before publication.
For State Rep. Anna Eskamani, it’s an easy response:
“Orlando does not need an ICE detention facility. We need policies that keep families together, respect due process, and protect the economic and social fabric that makes our region thrive. I oppose any and all plans to open up an immigration detention center in our community and urge private and local decision-makers to reject any proposal to open up an ICE detention facility in Orlando.”
Many Democrats, including Congressman Darren Soto and U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, have warned of the increased ICE activity in Central Florida. The Democratic members of Congress have encouraged people to reach out to their congressional offices for assistance. Congressman Soto even issued information on what to do if approached by ICE.
It appears the current guard of Democrats on the Orlando City Council are too scared politically to weigh in on immigration enforcement, while others are coming out strong against the Republican policies currently being implemented.
After the ICE shooting incident in Minnesota, Democratic State Rep. Eskamani responded to the death of Renee Nicole Good by stating:
“In Orlando, we must be clear about our values. That means rejecting ICE contracts, refusing to entangle local governments in federal enforcement, and standing firm against an agency with inadequate training, a documented record of harm, and a track record of targeting people with no criminal background. True public safety comes from investment in people—not fear or unchecked federal power. We must defund ICE, restore basic accountability, and ensure our communities are a place where dignity, due process, and human rights are non-negotiable. Orlando stands with the people of Minneapolis in peace and justice.”
When asked about Rep. Eskamani’s call to defund ICE and reject ICE contracts, Mayor Buddy Dyer also declined to respond or answer despite multiple attempts. No Orlando City Commissioners, not Tom Keen, Tony Ortiz, Roger Chapin, Shan Rose, or Bakari Burns, responded. It seems based on Anna Eskamani’s position, Orlando is not currently standing on those values even though the entire City Council and Mayor Dyer are supposedly Democrats.