By Contributing Correspondent Kiara Velez
The Apopka Police Department has quietly entered into an agreement with federal immigration authorities, joining a growing number of Florida agencies participating in the 287(g) program.
According to the ICE.gov website, the 287(g) Program allows a law enforcement agency to enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law, expanding the department’s authority to:
- Identify and process removable aliens with pending or active criminal charges.
- Enforce limited immigration authorities with ICE oversight during routine duties.
- Serve and execute administrative warrants on removable aliens in your jail.
The state-forced decision has drawn scrutiny from residents and advocacy groups in Apopka, who fear it undermines trust between police and communities, particularly farmworkers and laborers, who form a large part of Apopka's population and history.
The move follows Gov. Ron DeSantis’s aggressive expansion of state-local immigration enforcement training, including a pending law (currently blocked by a Miami lawsuit) that would penalize agencies refusing to cooperate with federal detainers.
Suzanne Kidd, an Apopka resident and former City Council candidate, estimates nearly 200 Florida police departments have signed 287(g) agreements under state pressure.
Kidd was part of a discussion group about the agreement recently executed by the APD to permit some sworn officers to participate in the federal program known as the 287(g) task force model. Through this agreement, APD officers would participate in ICE’s effort to identify and detain undocumented immigrants they encounter.
Related: Fear and resistance: Apopka immigrant communities navigate rising ICE activity, harsh laws, and economic fallout
On March 28th, Kidd and others met with Mayor Bryan Nelson to request that the issue be added to the April 16th City Council agenda. Nelson dismissed concerns, stating the agreement was already signed.
“I wouldn’t know,” he said when asked about businesses struggling with absenteeism due to fear of deportation.
“They (Nelson and others) have not been transparent to the community, and they haven't made a big deal of it,” said Kidd. “I get the feeling the thought is 'If we don't make noise, it won't bring attention to us,' they fear state officials could make an example of us for being too aggressive or sympathetic. No one said that... just picking it up."
At an April 7th meeting with advocates, including representatives from the Farmworkers Association and HOPE Community Center, Police Chief Michael McKinley sought to soothe fears.
“These trained officers will help ensure that all immigration matters are handled lawfully and in accordance with both state and federal guidelines, thereby preventing any improper detentions or arrests,” said McKinley.
McKinley emphasized that only select APD personnel would undergo the 40-hour federal training on immigration enforcement, and is committed to complying with state and federal law while maintaining responsibility and loyalty to protecting the community's rights.
"As long as I'm in charge, my officers will not be violating anyone's civil rights," he said.
However, his advice to the community—“Follow traffic laws”—was interpreted by advocates as a tacit warning: “Don’t draw attention to yourself.”
PHOTOS BY ISABEL LECOMPTE (@ISASBEL.LECOMPTE), INTERNING PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE APOPKA VOICE.
McKinley stated the Apopka Police Department is committed to complying with state and federal law while maintaining responsibility and loyalty to protect the rights of the Apopka Community.
“Immigration enforcement is a highly complicated area of law that encompasses both criminal and civil components," McKinley said. "To ensure that Apopka Police Department personnel act within the bounds of the law, while also safeguarding individual civil rights, it is essential that our officers receive proper training on what actions are permissible under federal immigration laws."
McKinley framed the program as a resource for handling complex immigration cases.
He said he had already met with members of Hope Community Center and that another meeting with the Farmworkers Association is scheduled soon.
“The exact number of Apopka Police Department officers who will undergo immigration-related training has not yet been determined," McKinley said. "However, those selected for training will serve as a resource within the agency, providing guidance to fellow officers when immigration-related questions or situations arise.".
The Orlando Police Department faced similar backlash after quietly signing a 287(g) agreement in March, violating the spirit of its 2018 Trust Act, which limits city employees' inquiries into immigration status.
Jeanette Rivera-Lyles and Paul Gamache of Hope CommUnity Center released a media alert after an Orlando City Council Meeting on April 7, responding to a recent local Orlando Police Department decision from March 26, which entered them into a model agreement with ICE.
The media alert states, “This agreement was signed without the apparent knowledge of Mayor Buddy Dyer (City of Orlando Mayor)...and directly violates the spirit of Orlando’s 2018 Trust Act”.
In 2018, the Orlando City Council was the first municipality in its region to approve the Act.
The Act states: “The City of Orlando does not operate any detention facilities. Therefore, no person detention therein could, nor will be extended by the Orlando Police Department based solely on that person’s immigration status, unless otherwise required by law”.
Under a section titled ‘What’s At Stake,’ the media alert sent out by Rivera-Lyles and Gamache respectively states, “..This secretive move on the part of OPD threatens both civil liberties and public trust. We call on Mayor Dyer and the City Council to stand with the people of Orlando, uphold the spirit of the Trust Act”.
What's next?
With the April 16th Council meeting passing and no agenda item on 287(g) discussed by the City Council, Kidd and allies are now focusing on public safety and pushing for transparency in local government.
McKinley’s promised reviews may offer a checkpoint, but for now, the message to Apopka’s immigrant community is clear:
“Let's just leave it be now, because I don't want to put the police department in a position where they feel they have to be aggressive," Kidd said. "If we leave it alone for the moment, more people are safe."
Photos by Isabel LeCompte (@isasbel.lecompte), interning photographer for The Apopka Voice. Isabel also contributed to this report.
Correction: The Apopka Voice misidentified Jeanette Rivera-Lyles and Paul Gamache of Hope CommUnity Center as members of the Florida Farmworkers Association in an earlier edition. It also misstated Suzanne Kidd's role at a meeting referenced in the article. Both issues have been corrected in the current edition.
