Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is threatening to remove Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer for “sanctuary city” policies that Uthmeier says are outlawed.
Uthmeier said he sent a letter to Dyer “reminding him that the sanctuary policy adopted by the city in 2018, the ‘Trust Act,’ is void under a 2019 law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The letter was in response to comments Dyer made in a council meeting last week. Dyer said Orlando Police Department officers would not be proactive in immigration enforcement under Orlando’s Trust Act policy.
Uthmeier said his “office will take legal action against the City of Orlando and any city employee or agent thereof that violates chapter 908 of the Florida Statutes.”
Florida Attorney General Warns Orlando Mayor To Abide By State Laws
Chapter 908 of the Florida Statutes contains provisions that outline how the state will enforce federal immigration laws. According to Uthmeier’s letter, Florida statutes prohibit law enforcement and local government entities from adopting or having any sanctuary policy.
“Sanctuary policies” refer to laws, policies, or procedures adopted by a state or city that prohibit or impede law enforcement agencies from communicating or cooperating with federal immigration agencies.
“Sanctuary policies are not tolerated or lawful in Florida,” Dyer wrote. “Failure to abide by state law may result in the enforcement of applicable penalties,” including removal from office.
Dyer responded to the Uthmeier’s letter, saying that he has no intention of violating federal or state laws.
Today, I sent a letter to @orlandomayor reminding him that the sanctuary policy adopted by the city in 2018, the ‘Trust Act,’ is void under a 2019 law signed by @GovRonDeSantis.
If the city enforces the policy as Mayor Dyer suggested, especially with @OrlandoPolice signing a… pic.twitter.com/InLAJRIDeQ
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) April 14, 2025
“As you know, we have signed the Memorandum of Agreement 287 (g) Task Force Model with ICE,” Dyer said. “Our OPD officers are in the process of being trained by ICE to provide assistance at its direction. We assure you we will continue to use our best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law, as well as state law.”
Constitutional Crisis Brewing Over Immigration
The conversation in Florida is happening when many Americans are questioning the Trump administration’s tactics to combat illegal immigration. There’s a constitutional crisis brewing after a federal judge ruled the administration to return a Maryland man wrongly deported to an El Salvador prison.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia illegally immigrated to the U.S. in 2011 as a teenager. He was given a “withholding of removal” status in 2019, according to The Hill. Abrego Garcia argued he faced threats to his life from gang violence in his home country of El Salvador. He is a married father of three working as a sheet metal apprentice.
The Trump administration said Abrego Garcia of having ties to the gang MS-13. There is no evidence to support these claims at this time. The Supreme Court upheld the district court’s ruling for the administration to return him to Maryland. But Attorney General Pam Bondi said the administration has no plans to return him.
“The U.S. Constitution sets up a system of checks and balances where the branches respect one another, and the executive branch generally complies with federal court orders—especially when they’re issued by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Elora Mukherjee, a law professor at Columbia, told Courthouse News.
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