JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This afternoon, the city of Jacksonville placed its Hispanic outreach director on administrative leave after a livestream she hosted on Instagram, where she warned viewers about federal immigration agents sighted around the city.
“They are going and targeting specifically Hispanic and non-American businesses,” said Yanira “Yaya” Cardona on her livestream.
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Action News Jax viewers have been sending us videos and pictures throughout the week showing what they claim to be ICE agents stopping people around Jacksonville. Cardona’s livestream was made in response to the increased social media reports of ICE sightings.
“If you get pulled over, as much as we want to huff and puff, please comply,” Cardona told viewers, “please listen to the law, listen to the law.”
Cardona wasn’t able to speak with Action News Jax. But not long after it was announced that she was placed on administrative leave, Andrea Reyes, a Jacksonville immigration attorney, hosted a Facebook livestream sharing warnings about northeast Florida ICE sightings, too.
We reported this week that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it’s partnering with ICE to enforce federal immigration law. But as other local agencies have considered similar partnerships, some people have spoken up in protest.
Atlantic Beach city commissioners, on Monday, pulled an item from their meeting agenda that would have approved ICE agents to work with local police to enforce immigration law.
“The relationship between the Atlantic Beach Police Department and ICE, I am not in favor of that in any way,” one Atlantic Beach resident told commissioners during the meeting. “Reevaluate every agreement the City of Atlantic Beach has with ICE. I do not want Atlantic Beach police to work as agents of ICE,” said another.
Some Jacksonville city council members are sharing their response to the city’s Hispanic outreach director being placed on leave. In a statement to Action News Jax, Republican councilmember Rory Diamond said this:
“Mayor Donna Deegan vetoed my bill stopping funding for illegals, she said Donald Trump would put illegals in concentration camps, and now her staff is targeting ICE. The message is clear, Donna Deegan wants Jax to be a sanctuary city, and we will absolutely stop her.”
Action News Jax has reached out to the mayor’s office for a response to Diamond’s statement. We’re still waiting for a response at this time, but the city told us it’s reviewing the matter surrounding Cardona’s leave.
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