From Staff Reports and the orange County Newsroom
In Summary:
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has formally requested that the U.S. Marshals Service renegotiate its agreement with Orange County to reflect the true cost of housing ICE detainees. The county currently receives $88 per inmate per day, but Demings says the actual cost is closer to $180, creating a growing budget deficit. Since August 2025, the shortfall has exceeded $333,000, prompting the mayor to demand immediate reimbursement and a timeline for resolution.
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Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is pressing the federal government to reimburse the county for hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs tied to housing Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Orange County Jail, warning that local taxpayers are unfairly absorbing the financial burden of federal immigration enforcement.
Related: Demings says the Legislature’s attack on home rule ‘has to change’.
In a December 22nd letter to the U.S. Marshals Service, Demings outlined a sharp increase in ICE-related bookings at the Orange County Corrections Department beginning in April 2025. According to the letter, more than 5,000 ICE immigration inmates have been booked into the county jail over the past eight months due to heightened enforcement activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Under the county’s existing Intergovernmental Services Agreement (IGSA), Orange County receives $88 per inmate per day in federal reimbursement. Demings said updated cost calculations now show the true cost of housing federal detainees is approximately $180 per day, reflecting expenses tied to security, healthcare, and providing “access to the basic human needs experienced by an inmate in our facility.”
The county formally requested to renegotiate the agreement on August 11, 2025, but Demings said the financial strain has continued to mount.
“Since August 11, 2025, Orange County Government has continued to shoulder the financial responsibility of supporting ICE enforcement activities without being properly reimbursed for those expenses,” he wrote.
Since that date, the county has housed an additional 3,626 ICE inmates, incurring a daily per-inmate deficit of $92. Demings said the shortfall has already exceeded $333,592 and continues to grow, calling it “a hefty burden for any local government to pay.”
Demings emphasized that Orange County has complied with federal and state laws requiring local participation in immigration enforcement, but said residents should not bear the fiscal consequences. “The burden of the expense related to immigration enforcement activities should be borne by the federal government, not local governments who’ve been forced to follow the law in support of your initiatives,” he wrote.
Demings is currently running in the 2026 Florida Gubernatorial election.
In closing, Demings urged federal officials to act quickly, requesting that the U.S. Marshals Service expedite renegotiation of the IGSA and provide full reimbursement. He also asked for “an updated timeline in which we can expect to resolve this financial burden so that I can appropriately notify our citizens of this action.”
The letter underscores growing concerns among local governments nationwide over the rising costs of federal immigration enforcement and the financial impact on county budgets and taxpayers.
Key Points:
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Orange County has housed more than 5,000 ICE detainees over the past eight months.
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The county says it loses $92 per inmate per day under the current federal reimbursement rate.
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Mayor Demings estimates the deficit has already surpassed $333,000.
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The county formally requested renegotiation of its federal agreement in August 2025.
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Demings argues immigration enforcement costs should be paid by the federal government, not local taxpayers.
