Fort Myers mayor calls tearful Florida city council vote on ICE-local police agreement 'embarrassing'

Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson said he was "disappointed" and "embarrassed" after a city council meeting went viral when two members cried over a vote to allow cooperation between city police officers and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"It was a little bit embarrassing," Anderson told FOX 35 on Wednesday. "I think when we’re sitting on the dais, there really shouldn’t be room for emotions, because when we get emotional over things, we don’t always make the best decisions. We need to be strong, and we need to use facts and truth and information to make our decisions and not feelings of emotion."

The memorandum of agreement would allow for city law enforcement to receive training and authority to act as ICE agents to detain and arrest illegal immigrants, among other functions.

It failed to pass on a 3-3 vote on Monday, with one council member not in attendance. Council members Darla Bonk and Diana Giraldo teared up as they voiced their opposition.

Some Fort Myers City Council members cried over a memorandum on city officers working with ICE agents. (Fort Myers City website)

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"It is a tumultuous day and age. And this is a day I hate to be in this seat," Bonk said, her voice breaking as she spoke about the risk of losing state and federal funds. "But my city is not for sale."

"I can't stand behind this as an immigrant, the only immigrant sitting in this council," Giraldo said.

Anderson defended the memorandum during the meeting, emphasizing that it would not give officers the authority to go out in search of illegal immigrants "kicking in doors," but simply the ability to arrest and process illegal immigrants who had been charged or convicted of a crime.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier responded to the vote on Tuesday with a letter demanding the city council change its position or risk civil or criminal penalties for being a sanctuary city.

"Sanctuary policies are illegal in Florida. Your vote last night makes you a sanctuary city. Fix this problem or face the consequences," Uthmeier wrote on X Tuesday, along with a copy of his letter. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to the vote as well in an X post on Tuesday.

"Thanks to the laws we’ve recently enacted in Florida, local entities are required to participate in federal immigration enforcement. The 287 (g) program trains local law enforcement to aid ICE. Florida will ensure its laws are followed, and when it comes to immigration—the days of inaction are over. Govern yourselves accordingly," DeSantis wrote.

Uthmeier said in a local interview that penalties could include removal from office, which Anderson said should worry the agreement's opponents on the council. 

"If I was in the shoes of the ones who voted against it, I’d be very concerned right now," Anderson told FOX 35. "When it comes to public service, the governor has demonstrated over the last several years that he is very serious about holding people accountable to the oath of office."

He added that while he understood Uthmeier's complaints, Fort Myers is "not a sanctuary city" and takes public safety very seriously despite this issue.

"I was very disappointed and also embarrassed for our city," he said about the vote.

Mayor Kevin Anderson defended the memorandum, saying that it will primarily be focused on illegal immigrants who commit crimes. (FOX 35 screenshot)

But, with state and national attention on the council, Anderson said that he is "confident" they will get a different result once an emergency meeting is held on Friday to go over the memorandum again.

The meeting is expected to include an additional council member who was absent from the original meeting and unable to vote.

However, he said that after having spent years in public office he’s learned, "You never know how the council’s going to go." 

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.