JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Donna Deegan announced on Wednesday that she will not sign the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Act, which was passed by the city council last week.
Deegan said that she opted not to sign the bill instead of vetoing it, and it will still become law without her signature.
“Allowing it to become law without my signature does not impede law enforcement nor prevent them from doing their job in any way. It does keep my name from being attached to something that creates a sense of fear in immigrants living here lawfully,” Deegan said.
Press play above to watch Deegan’s announcement
Deegan’s announcement came an hour after City Council Vice President Kevin Carrico, who spearheaded the bill, held a news conference demanding the mayor to sign it into law.
“Everyone standing behind me, including myself, has a sworn oath to protect our public and keep the public safe. This bill helps us to do that. The mayor also is sworn by that same oath, which is why I’m strongly urging today that the mayor sign this legislation into law,” Carrico said.
Ordinance 2025-0147-E, spearheaded by Carrico, will give the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office the resources to help identify individuals in the country illegally.
The bill also provides funding for 25 additional fingerprint scanners and would also require local law enforcement to notify ICE and FDLE if an arrest is made.
Carrico was joined by community leaders and other council members, including Ron Salem, who shared some of his family’s history.
“It’s difficult to become a U.S. citizen, it should be difficult to become a U.S. citizen,” Salem said. “I’ve discussed this bill with many of my relatives, many of them immigrants themselves, and the response is consistent. It was hard to become a U.S. citizen and everyone needs to come to this country the right way.”
Press play below to watch Carrico’s news conference
Following Deegan’s announcement, Carrico posted a statement on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.
Today, I stood with my colleagues on the steps of City Hall imploring Mayor Deegan sign the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act into law. She refused to put her name on it—but let it become law anyway.
— Kevin Carrico (@CMKevinCarrico) April 2, 2025
Punting and playing politics on an issue as critical as this is disappointing… pic.twitter.com/chGXhFgwdw
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Deegan said the city will provide the funding that JSO needs for the new scanners.
Deegan also called the bill “performative”, saying it doesn’t do anything the current state law already does. She also said she would not sign anything that opens the city to lawsuits.
“There is language in the bill that is hurtful and stoking fear in immigrants who are living and working here lawfully,” Deegan said.
The mayor was joined by faith leaders, immigration attorneys and other community leaders, some of whom also spoke during Wednesday’s news conference to express their support for Deegan’s decision.
“Introducing redundant local immigration laws will not enhance community safety; rather, it will undermine public health by instilling fear, discouraging individuals, including those with contagious diseases, and we’ve all seen that during the pandemic,” Professor of Medicine and Cardiologist at UF Health Gladys Velarde said.
The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance provided the following statement following Deegan’s announcement.
“The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) expresses profound disappointment in Mayor Donna Deegan’s decision to allow Ordinance 2025-0147 to become law without her signature. While we recognize the political complexities involved, this decision represents a missed opportunity to uphold Jacksonville’s values of inclusion and justice. This decision will harm families, waste resources, and damage Jacksonville’s moral standing.”
Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA)
The organization also said it would be expanding its education programs and initiatives, including community workshops and multilingual materials so that residents can learn about their rights.
Immigration Attorney Vilerka Bilbao said during Wednesday’s news conference that the bill will likely be challenged as unconstitutional and added that there already are organizations that are working on a response.
