Doral mayor says 287(g) ICE agreement must stay, despite activist push to end it

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga said the city is required to keep its 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, rejecting calls from local activists to end the deal.

The disagreement surfaced after activists said they found some “common ground” with the mayor over immigration enforcement. They still challenge the legal basis for the agreement and question whether ending it would reduce ICE activity in the city.

Doral approved the 287(g) agreement last year to assist and cooperate with ICE agents in detaining migrants the agency says are in the country illegally. The arrangement has angered and frightened residents in a city where more than seven in 10 people were born outside the United States.

Outside the Doral Government Center on Wednesday, Oct. 7, nine-year resident Eleazar Guevara held a folder he said contained 160 signatures from community members opposed to the agreement.

Residents said ICE has increased its presence in the city and that some are now afraid to leave their homes. Local businesses also said sales have fallen.

Doral, often called “Doralzuela,” has the largest concentration of Venezuelans in the nation. Immigration enforcement has split city residents and elected officials.

City officials have not announced a vote to terminate the agreement. Activists said they will continue pressing the mayor and council to reconsider.