Key West commissioners threw Florida under the bus with one reckless vote that has Ron DeSantis seeing red

Key West officials just made a massive mistake.

They thought they could defy the state and get away with it.

But Key West commissioners threw Florida under the bus with one reckless vote that has Ron DeSantis seeing red.

Key West commissioners vote to scrap ICE partnership in stunning defiance

In a shocking display of open rebellion against Florida law, Key West City Commissioners voted 6-1 on Monday to void their police department’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.¹

The vote effectively terminated the city’s participation in the federal 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to assist ICE in identifying and detaining criminal illegal aliens.

Residents packed City Hall and erupted in applause when commissioners voted to end the partnership that helps keep dangerous criminals off the streets.

Commissioner Donald Lee, ironically a former police chief, admitted he was making an emotional decision rather than following the law.

“I try not to make decisions with my heart because it can get me into trouble,” Lee said before casting his vote. “Tonight, I am going to make a decision from my heart, and I hope it doesn’t get the city in trouble.”²

Well, it did get the city in trouble – and fast.

Commissioner Samuel Kaufman revealed the depth of the city’s radical agenda when he defended illegal aliens seeking asylum as “important members of our community” who “deserve respect.”³

That’s exactly the kind of dangerous thinking that puts American citizens at risk.

Attorney General Uthmeier delivers brutal warning to Key West leaders

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wasted no time delivering a devastating response to Key West’s lawless behavior.

In a scathing letter sent Wednesday morning, Uthmeier informed the commissioners they had violated state law and essentially turned Key West into an illegal sanctuary city.⁴

“Florida law unequivocally forbids sanctuary cities,” Uthmeier wrote while demanding the city reverse course immediately. “Failure to take corrective action will result in the enforcement of all applicable civil and criminal penalties, including removal from office by the governor.”⁵

That’s not an empty threat – Uthmeier has already proven he’s willing to take action against defiant local officials.

Earlier this year, he threatened Fort Myers City Council members with removal when they refused to enter an ICE agreement, forcing them to reverse course within days.

He also put Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on notice over anti-police immigration policies, prompting quick clarification from the Democrat mayor.

But Key West’s rebellion is particularly outrageous given the city’s location at Florida’s southernmost border where illegal immigration poses serious public safety risks.

The brutal facts about criminal aliens in the Florida Keys

Uthmeier laid out the devastating evidence that proves exactly why Key West needs to cooperate with ICE enforcement.

In March alone, ICE apprehended 10 illegal aliens in the Florida Keys – and every single one had been previously convicted for sex crimes.⁶

Later that month, border patrol arrested two more dangerous criminals: one with a violent history including homicide, and another previously arrested for animal abuse.

To close out March, Key West Police working with ICE arrested seven more illegal aliens with extensive criminal records including elder abuse, drunk driving, and trafficking methamphetamine and oxycodone.⁷

These aren’t people seeking a better life – they’re predators and drug dealers who pose a direct threat to American families.

Yet Key West commissioners just voted to make it harder to catch these dangerous criminals.

Governor DeSantis promises swift consequences for Key West’s defiance

Speaking at the opening of Florida’s new “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility in the Everglades, Governor Ron DeSantis made clear that Key West officials would face serious consequences.

“I think the attorney general has weighed in on that, and I’ll let him do the analysis and send them whatever warnings need to be sent,” DeSantis said. “But the reality is you have a responsibility for full participation.”⁸

The Governor delivered a sharp rebuke to commissioners who thought they could virtue signal their way out of following state law.

“And you can virtue signal and try to make political statements, but the reality is local governments have to abide by Florida law,” DeSantis stated bluntly.

Criminal illegal immigrants were already checking into the Alligator Alcatraz facility Wednesday night, with their next stop being deportation back to their home countries.

That’s exactly how the system should work when local officials do their jobs instead of playing politics with public safety.

Business owners spread fear while defending criminal behavior

The meeting revealed just how radical some Key West business leaders have become in their opposition to immigration enforcement.

Bobi Lore, owner of Island House Key West Resort, actually accused ICE agents of spreading “terrorism” while doing their jobs to protect Americans from dangerous criminals.

“Masked, unnamed, unnumbered and heavily armed ICE agents are spreading terrorism in the city,” Lore claimed during public comments.⁹

That’s an absolutely outrageous characterization of federal law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to keep communities safe from violent criminals and drug traffickers.

Chris McNulty from the Queer Keys Community Center admitted he’s been advising immigrants to “keep a low profile” rather than cooperate with law enforcement.¹⁰

These are the same people who claim to support “law and order” while actively undermining immigration enforcement.

Commissioner Kaufman’s deceptive legal maneuvering backfires

Commissioner Samuel Kaufman, who happens to be a trial attorney, tried to get clever with his legal reasoning for voiding the ICE agreement.

Kaufman claimed the agreement was never valid because it wasn’t signed by the city manager under delegation from the city council.

“The agreement is void,” Kaufman declared. “So we don’t have to terminate the agreement.”¹¹

But Attorney General Uthmeier saw right through this desperate legal gimmick.

State law requires every local law enforcement agency in Florida to enter cooperative agreements with ICE – there’s no technicality that gets Key West off the hook.

Police Chief Sean Brandenburg had signed the agreement in March after being warned by colleagues that he faced removal from office if he didn’t comply with state law.

Now the commissioners who overruled him are the ones facing potential removal.

The choice is clear for Key West: comply or face the consequences

Commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey cast the lone vote against ending the ICE partnership, showing there’s at least one adult in the room.

As the daughter and granddaughter of Cuban immigrants who came to Key West legally in the 1950s, Carey understands the difference between legal immigration and criminal behavior.

“I believe in upholding and respecting the laws of the State of Florida,” Carey explained. “As a public servant, I am committed to making decisions that balance compassion, legal integrity, and the best interests of our city.”¹²

Carey also recognized the serious consequences Key West faces after seeing what happened to Fort Myers when they tried to defy the state.

“I recognized the potential consequences, including the risk of losing critical funding and other repercussions that could significantly impact our city,” she said.

The five commissioners who voted to defy state law have put their entire community at risk over their misguided political agenda.

Commissioners Monica Haskell, Samuel Kaufman, Donald Lee, Mary Lou Hoover, and Aaron Castillo all voted to void the agreement despite the clear legal requirements.

Now they’ll have to choose between reversing course immediately or facing removal from office by Governor DeSantis.

For the sake of public safety in Key West and throughout Florida, let’s hope they make the right choice this time.

Sources:

1. WLRN Public Media, July 1, 2025
2. Miami Herald, July 2, 2025
3. Florida Politics, July 2, 2025
4. Letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, July 2, 2025
5. Fox News, July 2, 2025
6. Letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, July 2, 2025
7. Letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, July 2, 2025
8. Fox News, July 2, 2025
9. Miami Herald, July 2, 2025
10. Miami Herald, July 2, 2025
11. Miami Herald, July 2, 2025
12. Miami Herald, July 2, 2025