Councilwoman Maureen Porras said she wants the city to examine the 287(g) agreement it approved in April 2025, which allows local law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration authorities. She cited conversations with constituents and what she described as a shift in the community following recent elections.

"I've had several conversations over the last weeks with lots of residents and voters who want to hear from their local leaders," Porras said.

City Attorney Lorenzo Cobiella said Porras's request did not meet the submission deadline for an item requiring additional legal review. Porras disputes that determination and said she still intends to seek the discussion at the Nov. 18 meeting, and if unsuccessful, will try again in December.

Cobiella said his role is to explain the legal requirements governing council business, not to block council members.

"I have no power to tell a councilperson you can't do something. I'm just reading what the law says," he said.

Because the proposal carries potential legal consequences, Cobiella said it required more time for submission and review. He warned that action involving the agreement could expose council members to penalties.

"It could be imposing of fines, it could be removal from office of council members who voted for the item," Cobiella said. "So, there's a danger, there is fear."

Among those calling for a review is Eleazar Guevara, who closed his restaurant in October, just five months after opening. He attributes the closure to a decline in customers that he says followed ICE detentions in Doral.

"I want the city of Doral to review the 287 agreement. I had to close my business," Guevara said.

He said people remain afraid to visit the area and supports Porras's effort to bring the agreement before the council. A few weeks ago, Guevara delivered a document signed by 170 families to Mayor Christi Fraga, asking the city to review the agreement.

Fraga said the city sent a letter to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier requesting guidance on its legal options regarding the agreement.

Guevara said families in Doral are struggling.

"It makes no sense to hold onto an agreement that is causing more fear than good," he said in Spanish.

The debate comes as immigration enforcement remains a flashpoint in South Florida, with local governments weighing public safety partnerships against concerns from immigrant communities. The 287(g) program deputizes local officers to perform certain federal immigration functions, a arrangement that supporters say enhances coordination but critics argue fosters fear and deters cooperation with police.

For Doral, a city with a large immigrant population and a vibrant small-business sector, the stakes are tangible. Guevara's closure is one of the visible signs of economic strain that residents link to enforcement activity.

Porras said the recent election results reflect a transformation in the community, adding urgency to her call for local leaders to respond.

The council's Nov. 18 meeting is the next opportunity for the issue to be formally raised. Whether it makes the agenda will depend on procedural rules that Cobiella says require advance submission for legally sensitive items.

Porras maintains her request was timely and vows to keep pushing. "I will continue seeking to have the item placed on the Nov. 18th agenda," she said.