MIAMI (WSVN) - South Floridians protesting a controversial immigration policy gathered outside City of Miami City Hall to voice their concerns.
Immigration advocates came together, passionate and emotional, with some of them dressed in T-shirts that read, “I stand with immigrants.”
The protest comes just days after the federal government ended temporary protected status for Haitians nationwide, impacting the nearly 160,000 who call South Florida home.
The demonstrators said now is the time to come together as a community and protect their Haitian neighbors.
They’ve called upon city commissioners to terminate the Miami Police Department’s 287G agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The department entered the agreement in 2025, and advocates said it authorizes city officers to execute certain federal immigration enforcement actions under ICE supervision.
Community leaders, however, argue that the agreement diverts local law enforcement from true emergencies and erodes trust with the large population of immigrant residents who call South Florida home.
“[The] 287G [agreement] is creating an issue that does not need to happen. People are afraid to call the police for help; you can have an emergency and you can’t call 911, because the police are working with ICE,” said Arianne Betancourt with The Workers Circle. “We are seeing a crazy unloading of ICE agents in the streets of Miami currently. We are seeing Minnesota-style raids; I spent time in Minnesota, and what we are seeing now is only the beginning.”
Advocates also called on U.S. Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott to pass Senate Bill 4814.
They said if the bill passes in the Senate, after already having been passed by the House, it would extend TPS for Haitian nationals for another three years.
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