Why Miami-Dade County could turn undocumented immigrants over to the feds
As of Thursday, jails in Florida鈥檚 Miami-Dade County are to hold undocumented detainees indefinitely while federal authorities prepare deportation proceedings.
This decision reverses the county鈥檚 four-year-old policy of refusing to detain undocumented lawbreakers so Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could deport them. More than聽 employ similar policies to obstruct federal immigration authorities and prevent deportations.
These jurisdictions are in the crosshairs of signed by President Trump on Wednesday, which aims to cut off their federal funding. Grants from Uncle Sam underwrite a wide range of local programs, from ports and roads to public housing and HIV prevention.
In a move that could put pressure on other counties to follow suit, Miami-Dade decided that the cost of losing these grants 鈥� expected to be worth $355 million this year 鈥� was simply too high to oppose Trump鈥檚 policy.
鈥淚 want to make sure we don鈥檛 put in jeopardy the millions of [dollars in] funds we get from the federal government for a $52,000 issue,鈥� County Mayor Carlos Gim茅nez聽. Last year, the county saved about $52,000 by not detaining undocumented immigrants past their normal release dates.
Miami-Dade has never defined itself as a 鈥渟anctuary county.鈥� It to detain immigrants indefinitely in 2013 as a cost-cutting measure, citing insufficient reimbursement from the federal government.
Even so, Mr. Trump, who arrived in office pledging to crack down on illegal immigrants, welcomed Mr. Gim茅nez鈥檚 announcement as an early success for his executive order. 鈥淢iami-Dade Mayor drops sanctuary policy. Right decision. Strong!鈥�.
Other large counties that also refuse to detain immigrants on behalf of ICE, such as Los Angeles County or Illinois鈥檚 Cook County, may soon face threats to change these policies or risk losing federal funding. Both counties contain major cities whose mayors to protect undocumented immigrants, and that have 鈥溾�� of their own 鈥� for instance, barring city employees from disclosing residents' immigration status.
However, Miami-Dade County鈥檚 decision could set a precedent. As The Washington Post's , 鈥淏ecause jails are typically run by counties, rather than cities, county policies can matter more to immigrants.鈥�
Upon arriving in a county jail, inmates are fingerprinted and run against a federal database. If ICE spots an undocumented immigrant, it sends a 鈥渄etainer request鈥� asking the jail to hold the inmate long enough so that it can obtain a warrant for deportation.
Because detaining individuals without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment, following these requests is voluntary. But the prospect of losing federal grant money under Trump convinced Miami-Dade County to comply.
Before other counties do likewise, they may choose to assess how much funding the federal government can really cut. Miami-Dade concluded that its $52,000 savings from non-compliance would be far outweighed by a loss of federal grants.
In reality, Trump may have few means to punish localities for sanctuary laws. Under the Supreme Court鈥檚 1987 ruling, 鈥淸federal] funding can be withheld only for the specific initiative in question.鈥� Other counties may conclude that they can defy the White House and preserve funding in other areas.
But on Thursday, the prospect of cuts to education, infrastructure, and more got Florida's most populous county behind Trump鈥檚 initiative. 聽
