Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a Jacksonville city official was placed on administrative leave for publicly warning residents about ICE activity in the area, saying Florida will continue to respect law enforcement and the rule of law, as reported[1] by Fox News.
The official, Yanira “Yaya” Cardona, who serves as the City of Jacksonville’s Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, was placed on leave after an Instagram livestream on Wednesday in which she said ICE was setting up what she described as “speed traps” around the city.
During the livestream, Cardona named specific roads and advised viewers to be cautious.
When Fox News Digital sought comment, DeSantis’ office pointed to remarks he made during a Thursday press conference addressing the situation.
“I know you had that one woman in the city of Jacksonville government putting out information. Look, that’s not the way we roll here in the state of Florida. You know, we’re going to respect law enforcement, respect the rule of law,” DeSantis said.
BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis[3] warns Jacksonville woman Jennifer Cruz, who allegedly assaulted a trooper during immigration enforcement, that such actions won’t be tolerated in Florida. She now faces felony charges
The governor also referenced a separate incident involving alleged violence against officers.
“I do know there was a woman who came out and assaulted one of our troopers. Let me just tell you guys, this is not Minneapolis[6]. That is not going to end well for you in Florida,” DeSantis said, adding that the accused, Jennifer Cruz, would face “consequences.”
During her livestream, Cardona told viewers that “ICE is out and about” and claimed enforcement efforts were focused on lawn care and air conditioning companies while checking paperwork. She urged viewers not to confront authorities.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the time to fight,” Cardona said during the broadcast, advising compliance if approached by law enforcement.
“The best advice that I could give you guys is if you don’t need to go out, stay home,” she added. “Just comply, have a plan in place, and rely on the universe ’cause we’re here.”
In a written post connected to the livestream, Cardona provided additional guidance.
“We are living in very difficult times, but my best advice is 1. Have a plan in place with your lawyers 2. Give someone you trust legal power for your business and your children 3. If you get pulled over, please pay attention and follow the instructions/orders,” she wrote.
City officials confirmed Cardona was placed on administrative leave, citing a violation of Jacksonville’s social media policy.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the city said the “general locations shared in her video were common knowledge from community sightings already reported on news stories and social media.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan addressed the issue during a Thursday night press conference, emphasizing concern for immigrant communities while defending the city’s internal policies.
“We are a city of immigrants. We probably have more immigrants than most cities in the country. And a lot of them are frightened right now,” Deegan said.
“They’re having a very difficult time. They’re seeing what’s happening around the country. They’ve seen American citizens sometimes being detained and arrested. They are seeing some violence. They’re worried. They’re scared.”
Deegan said the decision to place Cardona on leave was not related to the substance of her remarks.
“I don’t have any problem. We checked with the general counsel’s office. Nothing that she shared said anything about anyone who was here illegally,” Deegan said.
“It was simply giving the community information that was freely available and also giving information about their legal rights.”
She added, “So, it wasn’t the content of what she said that I took issue with. The reason that she was put on administrative leave is because we have a policy in this city.”
Deegan explained that city policy requires centralized approval for public messaging.
“We’ve got a mayor who is the spokesperson for the city, and we have people who follow the policy that if you are going to create any sort of social media content, if you are going to make any sort of commentary, especially in this office, that would be construed as coming from the mayor—That has to come through me or through our communications office. Period.”
Fox News Digital reported it reached out to Cardona for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
