Gulfport City Council Workshop on 287G Agreement – February 26, 2026
Gulfport City Council Workshop on 287G Agreement – February 26, 2026
The Gulfport City Council held a workshop on February 26, 2026, to address public questions and concerns regarding the 287G agreement between the Gulfport Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The meeting was called by Mayor after a previous council meeting where AI-generated photos of ICE vehicles in front of the library circulated without basis. The mayor stated the focus would be on facts about Gulfport, not speculation, and emphasized decorum. Police Chief presented a timeline and details of the agreement, followed by public comment and council discussion. No decisions were made as the workshop was informational.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Courtney Perkopis (15th Avenue South) expressed hope the council would listen and act, noting the meeting was not live-streamed and requested confirmation of recording.
- Noah Peretz (12th Avenue South, Stetson Law student) urged council to renege on the agreement, arguing immigration enforcement is federal and that the agreement erodes trust and diverts resources.
- Richard Freed (56th Street South) criticized the agreement's signing and urged a decision that makes residents proud.
- Maria Augusto (South Pasadena) cited whistleblower testimony about deficient ICE training and argued supporting 287G makes the city complicit in unlawful actions.
- Matthew Gelvin (15th Avenue South) questioned the definition of sanctuary city and whether the attorney general's threat was binding; expressed concern about discrepancy between official parameters and reality.
- Casey McCormick (55th Street South) expressed full confidence in Gulfport police and supported the agreement, noting zero enforcement actions and arguing it provides necessary tools.
- Christa Fairbrother (2521 52nd Street South) questioned why opting out would automatically make Gulfport a sanctuary city and asked about other municipalities' experiences.
- Ellen Briggs (27th Avenue South) opposed the agreement, citing fear of state overreach.
- Kate Basin (St. Petersburg) shared experience as a state inspector, emphasized that losing trust in law enforcement harms public safety, and hoped council would oppose.
- Karen Goldberg (45th Street, marina district) supported 287G as the lesser of two evils, stating inevitability.
- Frankie (41st Avenue North, St. Pete) noted the task force model is the harshest of three options, that the agreement is not mandatory, and that it erodes community trust.
- Gina Buscemi (56th Street South) questioned what would change if the agreement were revoked, noting zero arrests under it, and argued the city should not attract trouble.
- Leo Gonzalez (Tampa, Tampa Bay Immigrant Solidarity Network) stated the agreement is not mandatory, cited Sheriff Gauthier's threats, and argued it erodes trust; asked council to cancel.
- Lauren Stern (55th Street South) addressed the AI photo and public comment blitz, stating they brought many people to get answers; argued the council was permitting complicity by allowing the agreement to stand without public debate.
- Amy Costa (28th Avenue South) expressed belief in Chief Rand and the police but argued complicity with an agency committing atrocities is not acceptable; urged council to stand for people without voice.
- Chris Oro (South Pasadena) spoke against the agreement, citing atrocities by ICE and urging courage to do the right thing.
- Rachel Dale (Seminole) noted the Supreme Court allowed racial profiling by ICE, which could deter patrons and workers from local businesses.
- Laura Lee Wanger (Gray Street South) shared an anecdote illustrating disparate treatment based on skin color and opposed participation.
- Eliza Sydney (Jersey Avenue) raised health impacts, including children not attending school, and urged council to see the broader effects.
- A St. Pete resident (grandmother present) expressed shame at the agreement being signed behind closed doors and argued it endangers public safety by deterring immigrants from reporting crime.
- Robert Combs (56th Street South) supported 287G, arguing it only affects those breaking the law, keeps policing local, and protects the elderly community.
- Mason Morvet (27th Avenue South) questioned the voluntary nature given Key West's experience and the threat from the attorney general.
- Town Shores resident called for thorough analysis of the agreement, identification of citizens' rights, and what the city will do to protect those rights; noted the city manager signed without council input.
- E-comments: Three written comments were read, all opposing 287G: Isabel Sousa cited contradiction with inclusion, Jeannette Sells cited budget strain post-hurricanes, and Connie Takic argued ICE training is deficient.
Discussion Items
- Chief's Presentation: Chief explained the timeline and key events. She stated the governor wants compliance with state statute (Florida Statute 908.104 and 908.107), and that sanctuary policies are prohibited (908.103). She noted all 10 Pinellas County police departments plus the sheriff signed. ICE prioritizes criminal illegals, public safety threats, repeat removals, and those with final deportation orders. Under the task force model, local officers with 287G authority operate under ICE direction remotely; ICE will not command Gulfport police. Seven of 33 sworn officers have completed 40 hours of online training (no cost, on duty, no overtime). Pinellas County agencies agreed on criteria: no racial profiling, immigration inquiries only when individual has committed a criminal violation or is a public safety threat. To date (February 26, 2026), the department has processed zero individuals. She referenced Key West, which initially voted to void the agreement, received a letter from the attorney general calling that a sanctuary policy, and then reinstated the agreement.
- City Attorney Clarifications: The city attorney explained that Florida Statute 908 requires local agencies to use best efforts to support federal immigration enforcement. He stated the 287G agreement is not mandatory for municipalities without jails, but the Key West incident shows state officials are tracking local actions and threatening removal. He clarified that a sanctuary city is defined by policies that impede cooperation with ICE, and that the attorney general's threat was credible but untested in court.
- Council Questions: Council members asked about costs (no direct costs incurred; officers trained during duty hours; no reimbursement sought), training details, the definition of sanctuary city, options for alternative models (none identified), liability (federal ICE bears its own liability), and whether other councils debated (only Largo known). Vice Mayor asked about the cost of 40 hours per officer – city manager did not provide the figure, disappointing the Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor also raised concerns about warrantless entry powers and racial profiling; the chief and attorney noted Florida law prohibits profiling and that officers must follow state law. Council Member Shaw asked about reimbursement of $7,500 per officer and $100,000 for vehicles – chief clarified that would only apply if officers were assigned to a physical task force, which is not happening. The mayor stated the workshop was to answer questions and resolve fear; she expressed confidence in the police and argued the agreement keeps Gulfport safer by preventing ICE from coming into town. She stated the council was not elected to fight state and national issues.
Key Outcomes
- No decisions or votes were taken; the workshop was informational only.
- The mayor indicated she does not plan to make the 287G agreement an agenda item for future council action, stating the workshop's purpose was to answer public comments and resolve fear.
- The city attorney offered to provide a memo on citizens' constitutional rights if requested.
- The meeting adjourned without further action.
Meeting Transcript
We're um generating AI photos of ice cars in front of our library and circulating that as if that was going on here in Gulfport. Okay. And there wasn't a basis of truth for that in Gulfport. I'm not, I'm only going to talk about Gulfport because I'm the mayor of Gulfport, and this is a Gulf Port meeting. That particular night, I have to say I really um respected and appreciated that our residents said what they had to say, and I feel like we heard them. As I said, I feel like our chief was pretty blindsided that night. She did not know that she was going to be called upon to give a presentation of anything that had anything to do with ice that night. She's gonna tell us how did we get here, where are we, what's actually happening in Gulfport. All right. Um, we're not going to be focusing on I heards, well, I heard, or what ifs, but what if, but what if? We're not going to focus on that. We're gonna actually talk about what's actually happening here in Gulfport. Um, our focus has been and will continue to be Gulfport. We are a city council. Um the police chief has made it clear to me that she will not be disclosing anything that is considered confidential information. Um, as she speaks to the council, she will come up for air periodically and allow the council to ask clarifying questions of what she's addressed, like you know, because sometimes people are talking about something, and there's just you missed one part of it, and then it's hard to uh follow along. Following her presentation, um, we will then call on the um city attorney to address anything else that he feels that is pertinent that maybe was not addressed by her, and then what we're gonna do is go to public comment. So anybody in this room who came for public comment, you're gonna be allowed to speak. I see a lot of faces that I do not know, so just so you're clear when you come up for public comment, you don't ever speak from the chairs. Okay, you come up here, you use that microphone, you have three minutes to speak. I usually am I'm used to saying you can speak about anything you want, but tonight it's only one topic, but you can say whatever you want during that time. When you come up, you have to give your name and your address. That's our policies and procedures and has been for a long time. It didn't get changed. Um I lost my chain of thought for just a second. Um, again, because there's people here that I don't know, there's just a couple things you should know. You can say whatever you want to say, but it has to be respectful. We keep decorum in this city um hall room at all point all times, all right. Um if you need to have a side conversation, I understand that, but your side conversation goes out to the lobby. There's only one conversation going on here at one time. And if you like what somebody said, you knew you do not applaud. And if you don't like what somebody said, you do not boo. I think that's what we were talking about when we said make sure your phones are off. Check again. All right, so with that in mind, then um, I think that we'll turn it over to the chief. And uh for those of you who don't know, this is our police chief. She has been here with the city of Gulfport for 20 some years. 25 in August. Okay, and she will be talking to us, but she will be talking into the microphone, and if there's any chance that you can't hear, let us know, and we'll try and make adjustments, okay? Thank you. Good evening, council, city manager, city attorney, city clerk. All right, so 287G, how did we get here? Can everyone hear me okay? I suspect you should have the microphone a little closer just for the recording. It's fine. He says it's fine. I'll speak up. Okay. All right. The purpose of this presentation is to answer commonly asked questions about the 287G memo of agreement, and hopefully to help provide a clearer understanding of how we arrived at this point and how this process works.
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