Protesters have taken to city hall, urging Mayor Donna Deegan to make a definitive statement against the collaboration between ICE and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), while also calling for the reinstatement of Yaya Cardona, who has been suspended.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Friday, a group of protesters convened outside Jacksonville City Hall, urging Mayor Donna Deegan to adopt a firmer stance against the recent operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the city.
The crowd loudly chanted slogans like “We want justice! Ice out of our streets now!” as they pressed for the termination of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s 287(g) agreement with ICE. This federal initiative allows local officers to engage in specific immigration enforcement activities.
The demonstration also highlighted the case of Yanira “Yaya” Cardona, who serves as the city’s Hispanic outreach director. Cardona was placed on administrative leave after sharing a video from her City Hall office during working hours. The video aimed to alert the community about ICE activities targeting Hispanic businesses and residents.
“Yaya is in the right, and I will never, ever, ever defend anyone that’s gonna silence a woman, period, so put her back in and do better,” expressed one protester passionately.
Mayor Deegan spoke about Cardona’s suspension during a media briefing on Thursday, clarifying that the suspension was due to a policy breach and not related to the content of the video.
“This is certainly an issue that stokes fear in our community and I hate that… but what you cannot do when you work for an administration is go do what you want to do,” Deegan said.
Protesters rejected the explanation, urging Deegan to publicly condemn ICE and demand the agency leave Jacksonville.
“Mayor Donna Deegan, we must do better,” one speaker said. “You in your position as mayor have a duty to protect all of us just as so many other mayors around the country are doing to fight ICE.”
“The thing is that she hasn’t spoken out against ICE and she should have if she loved the immigrant community,” another added. “If she loves them, then speak for them, then fight for them.”
“You’ve been elected and given a voice by the people that you are claiming to represent, so use your voice and represent them,” a third protester said.
The mayor’s office referred First Coast News to Deegan’s Thursday comments for response to Friday’s rally.
“We are a city of immigrants,” Deegan said. “We probably have more immigrants than most cities in the country, and a lot of them are frightened right now.”
Elizabeth Stroud, leader of Indivisible Southside, was among the most direct in her demands.
“Donna use your power and influence to speak out against ICE and to do everything in your power to leverage your power to stop ICE from parading around our cities,” Stroud said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a statement defending its long-standing partnership with ICE through the 287(g) program, saying it helps enforce laws and makes the community safer.
“We are Americans,” one protestor declared. “We are not meant to be made afraid in our own homes, in our own cities.”
