Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has revised controversial Tampa Police Department policies on immigration enforcement following a threat of removal from office by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
In a letter sent Monday to the attorney general’s office, Castor confirmed the department updated its guidelines, removing language that had drawn scrutiny. The revised policy takes effect immediately and will be distributed to officers.
The change resolves a dispute sparked by Uthmeier’s March 11 letter, which accused TPD of maintaining “sanctuary” practices that violated state law by restricting officers from sharing immigration status information about crime victims or witnesses with federal authorities. Uthmeier gave Castor until March 31 to comply or face potential suspension by the governor.
Uthmeier announced the resolution on X, stating: “Mayor Castor is no longer forcing sanctuary policies on Tampa PD, and the city is revoking the policy immediately. Florida is proud to be the Trump admin’s number one partner on immigration enforcement, and local officials will not impede enforcement of the law!”
Castor stated in her response that Tampa had no intent to violate state or federal law and would continue supporting immigration enforcement.
The updated policy aligns with Florida Statute 908.104, which requires local agencies to use “best efforts” to support federal immigration enforcement while prohibiting sanctuary policies. State law bars impeding federal cooperation but includes exceptions for not requiring information sharing on cooperating victims or witnesses in active criminal cases.
Uthmeier had rejected the city’s prior argument that such restrictions were needed to encourage witness cooperation, insisting on full compliance with state standards.
With the revisions, the immediate threat to Castor’s position has eased. The attorney general’s office indicated ongoing monitoring to ensure local compliance as a partner in statewide immigration efforts.
