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Fort Myers City Council Backs Down Under Pressure, Unanimously Approves Agreement to Cooperate With ICE
Red State ^ | March 21, 2025 | Jennifer Oliver O'Connell

Posted on 03/22/2025 11:49:21 AM PDT by george76

Fort Myers, Florida, City Council scheduled a Monday vote to approve Agreement 287(g). This would have allowed the Fort Myers Police Department to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the enforcement of immigration laws and facilitation in the arrest and repatriation of illegal immigrants.

The council got into a heated debate and ended with a deadlocked vote of 3-3. The three dissenting council members, one of them a self-proclaimed immigrant, held hands, cried, and bemoaned the situation they were being placed in: forced to vote on what they perceived as an agreement that would only fuel hate and cause illegal immigrants to be hunted down. One councilmember, Darla Bonk cried that, "my city's not for sale!"

Five days later, it appears that Fort Myers is indeed for sale. On Friday, the City Council held a special meeting to reconsider Agreement 287(g). This was after a Tuesday letter from the FL Attorney General James Uthmeier was sent to the council to reconsider their vote. The gist: get your act together or have your state funding cut off. Not to mention the council would be subject to civil and criminal penalties, potentially be held in contempt of court, and Gov. Ron DeSantis could remove them from their positions.

Gov. DeSantis also expressed his displeasure, issuing a statement in part, “Florida will ensure its laws are followed, and when it comes to immigration—the days of inaction are over. Govern yourselves accordingly.”

It's amazing how time, and some added pressure, can clarify the mind. On Friday, the vote was unanimous to adopt Agreement 287(g) between the Fort Myers Police Department and the ICE.

...

The Fort Myers City Council reconvened a special meeting Friday and passed a plan to bring the city’s police department into an agreement with the Trump’s administration that would train officers to assist in enforcing immigration law.

The emergency city council meeting was held after the plan was met with a deadlocked vote of 3-3. The city council passed the resolution Friday with a unanimous vote.

The 287(g) agreement, entered into by all 67 of Florida’s county sheriffs and joined by state-level agencies, provides training to personnel and enhances cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ultimately deport illegal aliens more smoothly and rapidly.

Florida and 15 other states have the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) setting up shop across their regions. The cooperation agreements are part of the effort to mitigate and expunge the TdA scourge and their networks from the United States. Despite the public being informed and aware, during the meeting's public comment portion, dissenters to the agreement invoked the spectre of "Nazi Germany" in the tactics being used to remove criminal illegals from their midst.

...

The three wobbly council members were still triggered, but ultimately did the right thing. Apparently, they didn't look forward to facing the potential penalties they could suffer if they continued to resist. Bonk, who said her family had been subjected to death threats, blamed the city attorney "for being ill informed about the legal implications of rejecting the 287(g) agreement."

What a lame argument. As a councilmember who has oversight and power in the affairs of your city, it is your job to be as informed as possible about the ramifications of your vote. This is a reflection of the entitled and lazy attitude exhibited by the people who run for these seats. It is also a reflection on the citizens of Fort Myers for not choosing their leaders wisely.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: aliens; fafo; florida; fortmyers; gang; harboring; ice; interference; obstruction; tda; trendearagua; venezuela; venezuelangang

1 posted on 03/22/2025 11:49:21 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

Decades ago, I lived in Naples, Florida and used to go shopping in Fort Myers because they had a store there with nicer things than I could buy in Naples.

FM is, or at least was, a beautiful, pricey town. Unbelievable to me that it’s become so crazy there. NYC transplants, I think.


2 posted on 03/22/2025 12:05:31 PM PDT by Veto! (Trump Is Superman)
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To: george76

“Bonk, who said her family had been subjected to death threats....”

Ah yes, the old fake democrat “I’m getting death threats” victemhood play......funny how they never report these “death threats” to authorities.


3 posted on 03/22/2025 12:11:02 PM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: george76

“The gist: get your act together or have your state funding cut off. Not to mention the council would be subject to civil and criminal penalties, potentially be held in contempt of court, and Gov. Ron DeSantis could remove them from their positions.”

…that’s how you get things done! Although I’m not sure if being “removed from their positions” would be a biggie since you’re behind bars for “criminal penalties” as it is.


4 posted on 03/22/2025 12:11:42 PM PDT by albie (U)
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To: Veto!

Fort Meyers is still nice, especially if you include Sanibel and Captiva.....however, like every other city it too has its warts here and there.....where doesn’t?


5 posted on 03/22/2025 12:12:50 PM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: george76

“Unanimously “ huh? No one took the opportunity to make a leftist statement? How odd…


6 posted on 03/22/2025 12:45:07 PM PDT by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.)
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To: george76

Although Lee county is mostly Republican, the city of Ft. Myers has a notable Democrat party influence based on a large black community, a residue of old Florida politics, college educated white women, and the usual sorts of political connivers who see a benefit in having ties to the Democratic party.


7 posted on 03/22/2025 1:32:04 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: V_TWIN

Funny how that when they do report threats that they are later determined to be false and the threats were made by themselves.


8 posted on 03/22/2025 1:50:39 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Trump has arrived and it is awesome to have a real President.)
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To: Veto!

“NYC transplants, I think.”

They screw everything up and they say ‘ya’ll’.


9 posted on 03/22/2025 2:05:29 PM PDT by dljordan
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To: george76

“Fuel Hate”
“Death threats”

Yep, them’s the libs dog whistles.

Also, *BONK* LOL!


10 posted on 03/22/2025 2:21:35 PM PDT by FrankRizzo890
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To: V_TWIN

Luv the Mucky Duck on sanibel.


11 posted on 03/22/2025 2:34:32 PM PDT by gcparent (God Bless America )
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To: george76
"...cause illegal immigrants to be hunted down"

They should be hunted down--and deported! They are criminals. They have broken US laws.

12 posted on 03/22/2025 2:54:05 PM PDT by Savage Beast (There's a Light over the Whole World. I just want everybody to be happy, healthy and well. --DJT)
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To: gcparent

Mucky Duck appears to have survived last year’s hurricanes.

Also hotels are starting to open back up.....unfortunately the one we loved so much was a total loss.


13 posted on 03/22/2025 2:55:29 PM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: george76

heated debate about invaders that dont live in thier neighborhoods


14 posted on 03/22/2025 3:30:47 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: ronnie raygun

SPOT ON comment!!!


15 posted on 03/22/2025 5:00:17 PM PDT by Starboard
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To: george76

Here are the three council members who previously voted not to uphold the law.

16 posted on 03/22/2025 5:35:32 PM PDT by simpson96
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To: simpson96

C’mon Ft. Myers. Take these filthy communist hags out.


17 posted on 03/22/2025 10:14:34 PM PDT by 82nd Bragger (Count to four except when in a helicopter)
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To: george76

Darla Bonk.

Excellent name for a Drag Queen.


18 posted on 03/25/2025 5:07:36 PM PDT by Norski
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