Last Updated on March 13, 2025
Newly surfaced emails and records suggest that Orange County Sheriff John Mina misled the public about his cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite his previous claims.
While Mina publicly stated that his department would participate in immigration enforcement, an internal email from December 2024 reveals a directive requiring deputies to obtain approval before assisting ICE—this obviously contradicting his recent claims of full cooperation.
Former Orlando Police Detective Bill Moore, a retired Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation Task Force Agent, revealed that an internal directive from Major Daniel Gutierrez instructed patrol deputies to seek prior approval before engaging in immigration enforcement. This directive was reportedly sent to captains in December 2024 and contradicted Mina’s later public statements. Moore claims the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) has deliberately slow-walked requests and even closed one without explanation after more than a year.
“This request’s status will now be changed to closed,” OCSO staff wrote on February 13, 2025, without providing a reason.
Moore has since refiled the request, seeking clarity on the closure.
On February 3, 2025, Mina told Spectrum News Channel 13:
“That is the job of the federal government. I know many sheriffs share that same sentiment.”
This statement aligned with the directive restricting deputy engagement with ICE. However, after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law on February 13, 2025, requiring Florida law enforcement agencies to assist ICE, Mina quietly reversed course.
By March 3, 2025, OCSO publicly emphasized its cooperation with ICE in a Facebook post regarding the arrest of Colombian nationals for burglary. That arrest had actually occurred on February 21, 2025, raising questions about why it was only highlighted weeks later.Moore argues this delay was part of a crisis management strategy.
“If that’s the case, why wasn’t this arrest highlighted around that date? Instead, the Sheriff chose to publicize it on March 3, 2025. My guess is that this timing was a strategic move for crisis management.”
Mina’s actions indicate an attempt to balance political pressures. Orange County leans Democratic, with 40.8% of voters registered as Democrats. While he reassures progressive voters that OCSO is not actively pursuing undocumented immigrants, he also signals to law-and-order advocates that his office is cooperating with ICE.
“He has created different narratives depending on the audience,” Moore explained.
“To the public and the media, the sheriff claims full cooperation with ICE. To his deputies, there are clear restrictions on engaging with ICE without high-level approval. The policy appears to be controlled selective cooperation, misleading the public.”
Moore further suggests that Mina delayed signing the 287(g) agreement—which formalizes local cooperation with ICE—until February 2025 to shield himself from backlash.
“Why did it take him until February to sign that agreement? Was he waiting for the law to be passed so he could use it as an excuse to his far-left base?”
According to Moore, the 287(g) agreement must be renewed annually, raising the question of whether Mina ever signed it in previous years.
When the 287(g) agreement was mandated by law, Mina attempted to reposition himself as compliant, despite clear evidence that his office had restricted ICE cooperation before the law took effect.
“He’s trying to straddle the political fence,” Moore said.
“On one hand, he’s reassuring immigrant communities that they’re not actively seeking out undocumented individuals, while on the other hand, he’s signaling to law and order advocates that they’re working with ICE as necessary.”
Beyond the immigration issue, Mina has a documented history of controversial decisions, including his response to the Pulse nightclub massacre, which critics argue was mishandled. His decision to kneel during Black Lives Matter protests also angered many officers.
Moore noted that Mina was Orlando’s police chief during the 2020 riots, where protesters blocked major highways, threw objects at officers, and caused public disruptions.
Now: @SheriffMina and @OrlandoPDChief #TakeAKnee in solidarity with demonstrators. We share the grief in the killing of #GeorgeFloyd. We need to use these opportunities to come together & talk about these issues.#kneelforsolidarity #KneelWithUs pic.twitter.com/HXUXUSCDnZ
— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) May 31, 2020
“The problem is that at the time he was sheriff, he wanted to have a relationship with these protesters who were throwing rocks and bottles at officers.”
This lack of support for law enforcement has fueled speculation about Mina’s future political ambitions.
“Rumor has it he wants to run for Orange County Mayor, a seat that opens in two years,” Moore claimed.
The current mayor, Jerry Demings—who was also a former sheriff—is term-limited. If Mina runs, he will need to resign as sheriff if elected, setting up a political transition similar to Demings’. Mina’s willingness to change policies and narratives depending on the political climate has left critics arguing that his track record suggests an opportunistic approach rather than one rooted in principles.
Moore and other watchdogs continue to push for transparency regarding Mina’s immigration policies. Public records requests remain unanswered, and some have been closed without explanation.
“I’ve analyzed the emails and the statements that are publicly known at this point, and the conclusion is clear—Sheriff Mina is trying to play both sides,” Moore stated.
The Facebook page Blue Lives Matter recently tagged Sheriff Mina in a post:
“Hey John Mina, when we share the proof that you’re lying to America, will you finally resign in disgrace like you should have years ago when you took a knee and stabbed your own officers in the back?”
There is also a growing push for Mina to release the emails that would confirm the directive restricting ICE cooperation.
“I have public records requests out for this issue, and we’ll see how they respond, but past history doesn’t look like they will in a timely fashion,” Moore stated.
The ongoing refusal to provide transparency, combined with Mina’s shifting statements, only fuels further speculation about whether his actions are driven by political ambition rather than public safety.
With increasing scrutiny and pending FOIA requests, the public may soon have a clearer picture of Mina’s true stance on immigration enforcement. For now, his selective enforcement and conflicting statements leave one pressing question:
The situation has eroded Orange County residents’ trust their sheriff.
National File will keep you updated on developments with this story.
