Miami-Dade County's proposed agreement with ICE, supported by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, has raised significant concerns among immigration advocates. The updated framework may restrict public access to inmate records, making it difficult for families, journalists, and advocates to track individuals held for deportation. While existing agreements require Florida jails to hold these individuals, the new provisions would grant ICE control over public records, potentially complicating communication and transparency in the detention process, especially as the county jail system typically houses around 1,400 individuals per day.
"It would be very difficult for journalists, advocates and family members to basically be able to obtain information related to the detention and arrests of these individuals," said Thomas Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Florida Immigration Coalition.
The framework of the agreement endorsed by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava gives the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency control of public records related to county inmates who are held in county jails for a short time while awaiting handovers to federal authorities.
Immigration advocates warn that the proposed agreement could make it hard for family members to locate inmates ahead of their transfer to ICE.
While ICE also maintains databases for people detained by the agency, advocacy groups say it's not as current or reliable as inmate portals maintained by most local jail systems.
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