TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the city’s police department has updated its policies on immigration enforcement.
It comes as a response to a letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, claiming Castor was forcing sanctuary policies on Tampa Police.
Under the old guidelines, officers were prohibited from “broad-based immigration enforcement actions.” That included traffic checkpoints, immigration operations at workplaces and more.
The new guidelines remove those restrictions.
They instead reference state statutes on how to handle victims or witnesses of a crime who are in the country illegally.
In a letter to Uthmeier, Castor said, “The city of Tampa has no intention of violating state or federal law.”
She said the updated policy will take effect immediately.
Tampa Police Department’s Former Policy:
 
Tampa Police Department’s Current Policy: