Fort Myers councilwoman defends vote that prevented enhanced partnership with ICE

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was a packed room at Wednesday's Ward 6 meeting with Councilwoman Darla Bonk after she was one of the recent votes that prevented the city moving forward with the 287(g) program, which grants greater collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The 3-3 vote during Monday's city council meeting got the attention of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said it is now state law for state and local police departments to have active agreements with ICE. Bonk told the room during her ward meeting that she had many questions about the agreement that were not answered during the debate and could not vote in favor of something with her remaining questions.

'What anybody else does after my decision is none of my business.'

"The memorandum of understanding as I understood Monday night ... was that [Fort Myers police] would become working for ICE, not partnering with ICE. To me, that was a difference. I wanted more answers, so I asked for clarification," she said.

Bonk explained that she still had 10 questions about the 287(g) program, such as "If this was not voluntary, why was it even brought before council to vote?" and "Why should we, as local taxpayers, foot the bill for ICE's job?"

She said she was also unsure how to protect officers from being sued personally if someone claimed his Fourth Amendment rights were violated.

Bonk added that her vote does not mean that she is against ICE or wants Fort Myers to be a sanctuary city.

When asked by Blaze Media why she did not seek to have her questions answered about the 287(g) program before Monday's vote, Bonk said that while she has asked questions ahead of time for other items, on this particular issue, "That's not an item I'm gonna sit there and go behind closed doors and ask and assume that the members of community who have come out ... don't get to see answers for."

Uthmeier wrote a letter to the Fort Myers City Council members saying their vote is in “serious and direct violation of Florida law" that could result in severe penalties, such as being removed from their positions, and his office will be investigating. The investigation is the first of its kind since the passing of the state's new anti-illegal-immigration laws.

"Thanks to the laws we’ve recently enacted in Florida, local entities are required to participate in federal immigration enforcement. The 287 (g) program trains local law enforcement to aid ICE. Florida will ensure its laws are followed, and when it comes to immigration — the days of inaction are over. Govern yourselves accordingly," DeSantis warned the city council on Tuesday.

When it comes to the investigation of the vote by Uthmeier's office, Bonk said that is his prerogative.

"It is the governor's purview. They have the right to do what they have to do. We voted Monday based off what we thought we had the right to do as well. What anybody else does after my decision is none of my business. I have to live and make the decision I believe to be true and authentic," she said.

While her vote sparked intense backlash online, nearly every person who showed up at the ward meeting voiced their support for Bonk and how she voted. Residents, including a few from a neighboring county, had concerns that Fort Myers police officers working closely with ICE will lead to racial profiling of Latinos.

One parent expressed concern that the school resource officer at her children's school could be deputized by the 287(g) program to carry out ICE duties at the school.

The city council is having a special meeting on Friday to once again have a debate and vote on the ICE agreement. Bonk did not indicate whether she will change her vote.

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