Largo commissioners urged to end ICE agreement

LARGO — More than a year after approving a federal immigration-enforcement agreement, city commissioners may revisit their decision following renewed public calls to withdraw.

Eight speakers at the commission’s Sept. 15 meeting urged officials to end or oppose the Police Department’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the so-called 287(g) program.

They raised concerns about family separations and the potential erosion of trust between immigrant communities and local police.

Don Hudson, a 40-year Largo resident who praised the Police Department, said he feared the agreement would make young people less willing to report crimes or cooperate with investigators.

“I think we're setting ourselves up for problems with public safety and policing in the future,” he said.

Leo Gonzalez, who identified himself as a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and a child of immigrants, urged commissioners to undo the agreement.

“I believe it's important to remember these human beings affected by these very real decisions, and to make sure that innocent families are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect,” he said.

Cathy O’Gara said immigration enforcement was creating fear among immigrants, including those legally in the United States.

She acknowledged that Largo had done “the least possible to comply” with the agreement but urged commissioners to go further and withdraw.

Largo was the only Pinellas County municipality to approve its 287(g) agreement through a public vote. Elsewhere, police chiefs signed the agreements without votes by their governing bodies.

Commissioner Michael Smith, who said he was the only commissioner to vote against joining the program last June, reiterated his opposition and requested an update from city management and the police department.

Police Chief Mike Loux told commissioners the department has taken no enforcement actions under the agreement since signing on.

Loux said officers do not conduct immigration raids, participate in immigration task forces or stop people based on their appearance, language or accent.

Instead, he said, immigration matters arise during officers’ normal duties, such as investigating a theft. If an ICE warrant or detainer appears during a records check, an officer contacts federal authorities to verify it and determine whether they want the person detained.

“We only do it in conjunction with our normal business,” Loux said.

He compared the procedure to discovering an outstanding warrant from another state and contacting the issuing agency to confirm it.

Loux said the agreement was presented to commissioners last year after Gov. Ron DeSantis urged local law enforcement agencies to participate. He described the arrangement as part of the department’s responsibility to cooperate with federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.

Mayor Woody Brown asked city administrators to examine whether other municipalities are leaving the program and what withdrawal would involve.

He suggested the commission review that information and “maybe discuss that as a board.”

Brown also recalled that the chief had predicted relatively few immigration-related encounters when Largo initially considered the agreement.

The commission took no vote and set no date for further discussion.