Palm Bay Approves ICE 287(g) Agreement, Allowing Local Officers to Enforce Immigration Detainers
Palm Bay, Fla. — Palm Bay City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to enter into a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), authorizing certain local police officers to act under federal supervision in limited immigration enforcement situations.
The 5-0 vote followed a presentation by Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello, who explained that the agreement does not authorize Palm Bay police officers to conduct immigration raids, workplace sweeps, or targeted enforcement based on immigration status. Instead, it applies only when a certified officer encounters an individual during a lawful stop or arrest who is flagged in ICE’s system with a federal detainer for removal.
The Memorandum of Agreement enrolls Palm Bay in ICE’s 287(g) Task Force model, which allows ICE to deputize local officers after they complete a 40-hour online training certified by the Department of Homeland Security. Once trained, officers may initiate administrative holds for individuals with immigration detainers and transfer them to the appropriate facility, such as the Brevard County Jail, for ICE processing.
Only officers who have completed the federal training will be authorized to act under the agreement, and Palm Bay Police Department policy prohibits self-initiated immigration enforcement actions outside the scope of ICE oversight.
While supporting the measure, Mayor Rob Medina voiced concern that the program appeared to be a state-directed mandate without dedicated funding, calling it “an unfunded mandate” from the governor’s office. Augello noted that discussions around funding are ongoing, but no specific financial support has yet been secured.
Councilman Chandler Langevin, also voting in favor, expressed strong support and said he wished the city could go further in helping with immigration enforcement.
Palm Bay now joins cities like Satellite Beach, which also approved a 287(g) agreement earlier this month under similar pressure from the state. All 67 Florida county sheriffs have entered into the program, but municipal participation has been more limited.
The city’s new agreement means Palm Bay officers who complete the required training will now have limited authority, under ICE supervision, to enforce federal immigration law in specific circumstances involving detainers, not general immigration patrol or investigations.
