Winter Haven Residents Speak Out Against City’s ICE Partnership
by James Coulter
Winter Haven residents echoed a growing national backlash as they denounced the city’s partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At the recent city commission meeting on Mon. Feb. 23, several residents spoke during public comments to criticize the city’s participation in the federal 287(g) program.
The program trains local officers to perform limited immigrationenforcement duties, including identifying and processing non‑citizens in local jails.
City commissioners voted 3-1 to enter the program in June 2025, with the Winter Haven Police Department collaborating with ICE since July 2025.
Pam Taylor, a coordinator with the ACLU of Florida’s legal‑observer group, pointed to the high number of immigrant encounters in Polk County.
According to the Florida Suspected Unauthorized Encounter database, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office recorded 709 encounters—the fourth‑highest in the state—while Winter Haven police reported 52—compared to 16 in Tampa, 12 in Lakeland, and 4 in Lake Wales.
Taylor argued the program funnels people into for‑profit detention centers with a “well-documented history” of horrific conditions and human rights abuses. She urged commissioners to withdraw from the agreement, saying it “does not make us safer.”
“I believe it does irreparable harm to our country, ” she said. “It takes resources away from fighting criminals, it harms public police relationships, makes victims less likely to report crimes, and makes communities fearful of law enforcement agencies.”
Matthew Crowley, who spoke against the agreement when it was being approved, warned that the city’s involvement ties local police “directly into immigration enforcement.”
“What was described as limited cooperation is now part of a broader federal crackdown, and that makes your vote more consequential today than it was the day you cast it,” he said.
Crowley mentioned a recent protest by Lake Region High School students, who marched four miles from their school to the downtown area in protest of ICE.
He pressed commissioners to “own the decision, defend it with facts, or have the courage to revisit it.”
Another resident, Charles Reese, called the program a “total scam.” As a military veteran, he said ICE’s training and standards fall far below what he experienced in service.
“I’ve met ICE agents in this county who have little to no understanding of what they’re doing,” he said.
City Manager T. Michael Stavres outlined the city’s current role, noting that Winter Haven operates under a task‑force model with 57 trained officers.
Between Sept. 1, 2025, and Feb. 11, 2026, police responded to 38,849 calls. Of those calls, police encountered 47 undocumented individuals and detained 17 at ICE’s request.
“We’re not conducting raids or door‑knocks,” Stavres said. “These encounters occur during normal law‑enforcement activity.”
