Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico Claims Mayor Donna Deegan Instructs Sheriffs to Ignore Immigration Laws
In a bold move that has stirred political waters, Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico has disclosed that Democrat Mayor Donna Deegan has advised local sheriffs to refrain from enforcing both state and local immigration laws. This directive comes at a time when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is aggressively confronting issues surrounding illegal immigration.
On Thursday, Carrico took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The directive from General Counsel Fackler to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office not to enforce state and local immigration laws not only restricts our local law enforcement but also undermines the authority of the Council and State Legislature. Florida is at the forefront of safeguarding law and order, yet instead of aligning with us, the Mayor’s legal counsel appears to be endorsing open-border policies.”
As to General Council Fackler directing JSO not to enforce the State and Local Illegal immigration laws, This directive not only ties the hands of our local law enforcement, but it undermines the will of the Council and State Legislature. Florida is leading the fight for law and…
— Kevin Carrico (@CMKevinCarrico) May 29, 2025
During an interview with Florida’s Voice, Carrico elaborated, “The Office of General Counsel, appointed by the Democratic mayor, has sent a communication to the sheriff today instructing him not to enforce state illegal immigration law or local illegal immigration law that we’ve discussed on this platform.”
NEW: Jacksonville City Council President-Elect @CMKevinCarrico reveals that the mayor’s Office of General Council has notified the sheriff to not enforce state or local immigration law pic.twitter.com/0o2MY0GTcw
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 29, 2025
The mayor’s office has since validated Carrico’s claims, sharing an email exchange regarding the directive with Action News Jax.
An email from General Counsel Michael Fackler included the following statement: “The Office of General Counsel advises JSO to refrain from enforcing Chapter 605 of the Jacksonville Municipal Code while the federal court injunction against Fla. Stat. SS 811.102-103 is in effect.” This email further clarified that enforcing the state immigration law would contravene the federal injunction, while also urging JSO to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The mayor’s office defended this action as “legal advice,” asserting that they do not possess authority over the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“The Office of General Counsel represents the entire Consolidated Government and has consistently raised concerns that the local ordinance is redundant to the state law now blocked by federal court. This is merely legal guidance offered to another independent entity to mitigate potential lawsuits against the city.”
In response, the sheriff’s office stated to Action News Jax that it “will continue to enforce federal, state, and local laws.”
