‘I stand by Orange County and its leaders against these attacks. This assault on our local democracy will not stand.’
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost slammed Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for threatening to remove Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and other county officials over their handling of immigration enforcement.
“In a desperate attempt to score points with the Trump Administration, Florida’s unelected Attorney General is threatening to remove elected Orange County officials for doing what they were elected to do — to stand up for the residents of Orange County and exercise their sovereignty and duties given to them by the people,” Frost, an Orlando Democrat, said in a statement Thursday. “The Governor’s office has a long track record of overstepping and playing these twisted political games to silence the opposition. Threats to remove local leaders who were elected to represent our community while at the same time auditing the county’s spending are nothing short of baseless, direct attacks on one of the only Democratic strongholds left in Florida. This is a political shakedown.”
“I stand by Orange County and its leaders against these attacks. This assault on our local democracy will not stand.”
The issue stems from Orange County Commissioners refusing to sign an addendum to the current contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to allow county corrections officers to transport ICE detainees to facilities outside the county, including Alligator Alcatraz — more than four hours away from the Orange County Jail.
Uthmeier accused Orange County of having a “sanctuary policy” and putting citizens in danger, which drew the ire of Demings, a former Sheriff and police chief.
“I find it somewhat ironic that the 37-year-old Attorney General is attacking me, personally attacking our board. I spent more years on the streets of Florida, patrolling our streets as a law enforcement officer than he’s been alive,” Demings said Wednesday when speaking to the media. “I am not going to be bullied by the state Attorney General.”
Demings denied the county is a sanctuary and argued the county is following immigration laws but doesn’t have the capability to send corrections officers so far from the understaffed jail.
The county is also facing a DOGE audit by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over.
Demings penned an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel Thursday writing, “We believe in transparency and are confident that our funding and programming decisions will stand up to their scrutiny.”
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