1. Report back from Bradford County BOCC mobilization:2026-04-16

2. NCFI meeting: Wed, April 22th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm In person

   Life South Blood Center, at 1221 NW 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32601

3. Protestor Safety Training: Wed, April 22th, 8:00 - 9:00 pm

   Register here for the zoom link

4. Communities Not Cages National Day of Action

   April 25th 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, at Super Walmart in Starke

   14500 US-301 S, Starke, FL 32091

5. STOP Concentration Camps in North Florida - join our statewide Indivisible Stop CC action team: Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

Report back from Bradford County BOCC mobilization:2026-04-16

🛑 Bradford County ICE Facility Plan Put on Pause

📅 April 16th Meeting Recap

A plan to bring an ICE detention center to Bradford County was paused Thursday. Over 120 residents packed the commission meeting to oppose the proposal to lease the Douglas Building for a 3,000-bed facility.

🚩 Key Concerns Raised:

• ⚠ Environmental contamination at the site

• 🏘 Strain on local resources for a small town (~6,000 residents)

• 🛡 Human rights abuses and moral responsibility

• 💰 Economic impact on local businesses

• 🚨 Facility management concerns: Residents do not believe the sheriff can maintain control

• 🔶 Excessive Strain on water, especially with draught & low water levels

• 🧯Concerns for secrecy and rush to a decision

👥 Community Mobilization:
Residents came from Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palatka, and Gainesville, and Archer, mobilized by North Central Florida Indivisible and allied groups such as:

• North Central Florida Indivisible, Indivisible Mandarin, Indivisible St. Johns

• Singing Resistance, Baker Interfaith Friends, Badass Feminists

• Bradford County Democrats, Putnam County Democrats

• DSA, YDSA, Solidarity UF

🗣 Resident Voices:
Jyoti Parmar: “We are your neighbors, your friends, your family. What we do affects you and your decisions affect all of us”
Other residents echoed this sentiment, emphasizing values, safety, and fairness. Many noted the process felt rushed and residents’ concerns weren’t fully addressed.

• Commissioners voted to table the proposal and explore alternatives, including private development

• Commissioner Kenny Thompson: “We are rushing, getting rushed into something that I can’t vote on, not at this time.”

• Commissioner Diana Andrews: “Last week, that’s exactly what we said, that we needed to review all options.”

• Commissioner Chris Dougherty attempted a motion to approve the lease, but Chair Spooner clarified no motion had been called

• At this point, audience members report that sheriff became belligerent and cursed under his breath at Chair Spooner.

• Commissioner Andrews stated that supports ICE, but she did not support an ICE facility at this site, and would have preferred the New River building.

📣 Next Steps:
The commission tabled a decision. We must keep the pressure on Bradford County.

Join us for these upcoming actions:

✅ Wednesday, 4/22 at 6:30 pm in person at the Life South Blood Center in Gainesville Fl, for an NCFl-I general meeting with a discussion and Brainstorming of Starke Detention Center.

✅ Saturday 4/25 at 10:30 am: Protest at the Super Walmart in Starke for a nationwide day of action against detention centers.

✅ Next Wednesday 4/29 at 6:30 pm for a North Central Florida Indivisible meeting at Life South Blood Center at 1221 NW 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32601 and help us prepare for Sheriff Gordon’s next steps, as well as strategize to stop ICE’s Concentration Camps in North Central Florida.

ACTION: No Concentration Camps in Florida!

If you would like to oppose building camps in Florida, join Indivisible Statewide Solidarity. Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

No Concentration Camps in Florida!

If you would like to oppose building camps in Florida, join Indivisible Statewide Solidarity. Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

Whether these places are called detention centers, internment camps, concentration camps, or “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” we will oppose them.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

1. STOP STARKE CONCENTRATION CAMP!!!

   1. TONIGHT! NCFl Indivisible Meeting: Overview of Starke concentration camp:

      1. Wed, April 15th, 7:00 pm. Hybrid.

      2. In person at Life South Blood Center, at 1221 NW 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32601

      3. Over zoom tonight: overview of DETENTION CENTER and TALKING POINTS:

         Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rixfUg-iROyB_ykHjYB_-A

   2. PACK THE ROOM @ Bradford County Commission Meeting:

      Thursday April 16th 6:30 pm. 945 N Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091

      1. Carpools available from Oaks Mall leaving at 5 pm. Please call 352-641-0095 for a ride.

   3. Communities Not Cages Protest

      1. April 25th 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, in front of proposed ICE facility

2. Want to fight concentration camps in Florida? Join our statewide Indivisible Stop CC action team - now forming.

Our press release regarding the Starke Concentration Camp in Bradford County - proposal will be discussed and voted on TOMORROW!

Wednesday, April 15th, 2026

Contact: Jyoti Parmar, North Central Florida Indivisible

352-641-0095

Ncfindivisible@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Rallies to Stop Proposed Concentration Camp in Starke

Bradford County Commission Meeting: Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Starke, FL - Residents, faith leaders, and grassroots organizations from across Bradford, Alachua, Suwannee, and Putnam Counties are coming together to demand that the Bradford County Commission reject a plan to build what advocates are calling a concentration camp in the heart of their community.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, community members will gather at 945 N Temple Avenue in Starke to oppose Sheriff Gordon Smith’s proposal to convert an industrial warehouse to imprison up to 3,000 of our immigrant neighbors, without a trial.

Starke - a town of fewer than 6,000 people - would be forced to absorb a massive detention operation that opponents say threatens the community’s moral integrity, public health, and economic stability. The mass deportation efforts this concentration camp would facilitate has grown so unpopular nationally that even Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, appointed as Chair of Florida’s State Board of Immigration Enforcement, stated that the immigration enforcement efforts cast “too wide a net, and we’re hurting people who are not the target of this entire operation.”

Public opposition is already overwhelming. At last week’s commission meeting, more than 100 residents showed up, with over 20 speakers condemning the proposal. Not a single person spoke in support. Over 200 Bradford County residents have already signed a petition demanding that commissioners reject the plan.

Organizers argue that calling the facility a “detention center” obscures its true nature.

“We are spending our own tax dollars to build a system of human suffering in our backyard. In Baker County, people have reported months in solitary confinement for minor misunderstandings, sexual abuse, and medical neglect so severe it endangered lives. At Krome, detainees have described overcrowded cells, unsanitary conditions, and lack of basic food, hygiene, and medical care. We refuse to be the agents of such cruelty - our communities deserve accountability, dignity, and a legacy we can stand behind, said Jyoti Parmar of North Central Florida Indivisible.

“This is a mass incarceration site targeting immigrant communities,” said Jenna Talleda, a community member.. “It will separate families, cage human beings, and expand a system that has repeatedly been exposed for abuse and neglect.”

Critics also point to serious environmental and safety concerns at the proposed site. “This warehouse has a history of industrial contamination and is not fit for humans,” said Bradford County resident Kate Ellison. “Rushing into an agreement under these conditions is reckless and dangerous.”

Sierra Club volunteer leader, Sarah Younger shared “ Proposals like these place an unfair burden on local resources - straining water resources, increasing pollution, and diverting public funds away from sustainable development. Bradford County deserves investments that strengthen long-term environmental health, economic stability, and community well-being - not projects that create lasting harm with little local benefit.

Opponents emphasize that taxpayers would be footing the bill for a project they say will harm - not help - the community. They point to Glades County, which has a county-run detention center with a fraction of the capacity proposed for Starke, as an example of the terrible deal: due to the fluctuating detainee population, Glades County Detention Center requires local funds to subsidize its operation while any revenue that was made went to out-of-county shareholders.

Ethan Maia de Needell, coordinator for the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative stated “Bradford County Commissioners must decide whether they want to mire their residents in medical and water shortages, county-subsidized jobs, and the abuse of fellow Floridians, or whether they want to move forward with the other plan before them which would not depend on human misery.”

A press liaison from North Central Florida Indivisible will be present to assist attendees and distribute materials outlining the case against the project.

Organizers are calling on all community members to attend, speak out, and stand in solidarity.

“We will not allow our community to become a site of mass Concentration Camp. Not here. Not now. Not ever”

ICE detention center back with no alternatives @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

Despite two other options for use of the Douglas Building being discussed last time, only the ICE detention center is on the agenda for the Bradford County Commission tomorrow, 6:30 PM, Thursday, April 16, 2026. That’s at the Bradford County Courthouse, 945 North Temple Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091.

The board packet does not include the text of the proposed lease, nor any comment on it by the county attorney.

There’s also nothing on the agenda about any results of the FDEP contamination study they approved last time, March 7, 2026. That would have to take much longer than nine days, anyway.

According to Sheriff Gordon Smith‘s agenda item detail, such a detention center “would be capable of housing up to 3,000 detainees.” Remember the population of Starke is about 6,000. So that’s a 50% increase, plus ICE and other personnel.

Join us this Thursday at Bradford county commission meeting at 6:30 pm - rides available - call everyone!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bg5FvCJQq/

No Concentration Camps in Florida!

If you would like to oppose building camps in Florida, join Indivisible Statewide Solidarity. Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

Whether these places are called detention centers, internment camps, concentration camps, or “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” we will oppose them.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

1. NO KINGS PROTESTS - NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA

   1. Tomorrow, Saturday: 10 am. to 12 noon-

      1. No Kings - Stop Starke Concentration Camp Starke:

         • Two Locations! Details below!

   2. Tomorrow, Saturday 3/28: 12 pm. to 4 pm - No Kings in Gainesville (Mutual Aid table)

   3. Tomorrow, Saturday, 4 pm - 5 pm: No Kings in High Springs! March and Sign-waving

2. Protest safety tips

3. Coming up: Want to fight concentration camps in Florida? Join our statewide Indivisible Stop CC action team - now forming.

4. Next Meeting: After No Kings - What’s next?

Share NCFL Indivisible Actions

Subscribe now

No Kings in High Springs!

Saturday, March 28th, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join North Central Florida Indivisible as we march from the

Old Train Depot, 23517 NW 185th Rd, High Springs, FL 32643

to High Springs City Hall, 23718 W US Highway 27, High Springs, FL 32643

It’s an easy 5 minute walk while calling out slogans!

We will join us the Santa Fe Springs Dems for Sign Waving at City Hall along the street.

Think of slogans and call and response - bring a megaphone if you have one or can get one.

Register Here: https://mobilize.us/s/F4id1m

No Kings - STOP Starke Concentration Camp!

Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. to 12 noon

1. No Kings - No ICE! at old CVS building: 10 am- 2pm

   209 S Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091

   Accessible location: Flat ground, paved, good for all mobility levels.

   RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/914947/

2. No Kings - No ICE! at proposed ICE concentration camp location

   14281 US 301 Starke.

   High Mobility required for this location - the terrain is uneven with steep drop-offs, and we may have to move. Reminder - this is a peaceful nonviolent demonstration, it is not civil disobedience.

   RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/900853/

Bring what you need - water, electrolytes, sunscreen. Wear hats, sunscreens, comfortable shoes. Bring your own signs, though we will have some as well. Bring a MEGAPHONE WITH BATTERIES if you have one or can get one.

Take LOTS of photos. Have fun. Be peaceful and non-violent

Bradford County residents are especially concerned that the Bradford County Commission is considering inviting ICE to move in, mutating an abandoned industrial warehouse with severe contamination into a “detention center” for over 3,000 people.

NCFI Embraces MUTUAL AID at No Kings 3 GNV

Saturday, March 28, 12 to 4 p.m.

Cora P. Roberson Park, 600 SW 6th St., GNV

North Central Florida Indivisible is hosting our Mutual Aid Food & Supplies Table at the No Kings protest.

Give if you can, take as you need, and join us as we fill reusable bags with food, love, and hope for our neighbors.

Food items:

• cornbread mix

• canned or dry beans or meaty soup

• large bottle of cooking oil

• large bag/box of pasta and pasta sauce

• canned meat, tuna, Spam

• oatmeal/cereal/cereal bars

• sun butter or peanut butter & Jelly

• cookies

• cake/brownie mix and icing

• juice

Non-food items:

• tarps and blankets

• diapers and wipes

• grocery store gift cards

Why It Matters

Every item you donate, every bag we fill, and every smile we share is a step toward building solidarity and a stronger, more compassionate Gainesville. This is more than just a collection drive—it’s a show of resistance and solidarity.

How This Works:

Bring what you have excess of, from the items listed above - Take whatever you need from our table.

No questions, no explanations - help yourself to what you need. We’re a community, not charity. This is from all of us, for all of us.

Spread the Word: Share this message with friends, family, and neighbors.

Volunteer: Join us at the table and be part of the movement!

Important Event Details

Parking: Parking is limited. Additional free & paid parking options are within walking distance. For attendees needing assistance due to limited mobility or transportation needs, please reach out to GNVW4D@gmail.com.

Commitment to Nonviolence: A core principle of No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolence. Any advocacy or signs promoting violence will not be tolerated. If counter-protestors are present, we expect all participants to de-escalate and remain peaceful.

#MutualAid #NoKingsDay #CommunityCare #Indivisible #NorthCentralFloridaIndivisible

No Concentration Camps in Florida!

If you would like to oppose building camps in Florida, join Indivisible Statewide Solidarity. Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

Whether these places are called detention centers, internment camps, concentration camps, or “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” we will oppose them.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

North Central Florida Indivisible—After NO KINGS

Wednesday, April 1st, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Online: Zoom

NO KINGS was huge - What’s next?

We’ll be meeting on Zoom. Please register here for a zoom link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

1. Today, 7:30 p.m.: organizing meeting online

2. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 noon: No Kings Starke

3. Saturday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.: No Kings Gainesville (Mutual Aid table)

4. Protest safety tips

5. Coming up: No concentration camps in Florida: statewide Indivisible team

Share NCFL Indivisible Actions

Subscribe now

North Central Florida Indivisible—Regular Meeting

Wednesday, March 25th 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Online: Zoom

This will largely focus on details for Saturday.

We’ll be meeting on Zoom. Please register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Register for Zoom

No Kings Starke

Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. to 12 noon

RSVP for location information

Help us spread the message: we have had 250 years without a King, and we’re not going back now.

Bradford County residents are especially concerned that the Bradford County Commission is considering inviting ICE to move in, mutating an abandoned industrial warehouse with severe contamination into a “detention center” for over 3,000 people.

Indivisibles are helping local organizers with logistics, so come out with your sign or to lend a hand!

RSVP on Mobilize for No Kings Starke

NCFI Embraces MUTUAL AID at No Kings 3 GNV

Saturday, March 28, 12 to 4 p.m.

Cora P. Roberson Park, 600 SW 6th St., GNV

North Central Florida Indivisible is hosting our Mutual Aid Food & Supplies Table at the No Kings protest.

Give if you can, take as you need, and join us as we fill reusable bags with food, love, and hope for our neighbors.

Food items:

• cornbread mix

• canned or dry beans or meaty soup

• large bottle of cooking oil

• large bag/box of pasta and pasta sauce

• canned meat, tuna, Spam

• oatmeal/cereal/cereal bars

• sunbutter or peanut butter & Jelly

• cookies

• cake/brownie mix and icing

• juice

Non-food items:

• tarps and blankets

• diapers and wipes

• grocery store gift cards

Why It Matters

Every item you donate, every bag we fill, and every smile we share is a step toward building solidarity and a stronger, more compassionate Gainesville. This is more than just a collection drive—it’s a show of resistance and solidarity.

How You Can Help

Donate: Bring any of the listed items to our table.

Spread the Word: Share this message with friends, family, and neighbors.

Volunteer: Join us at the table and be part of the movement!

Small acts of solidarity can create waves of change. Will you join us?

Important Event Details

Parking: Parking is available at Roberson Park but is limited. Additional free and paid parking options are within walking distance. For attendees needing assistance due to limited mobility or transportation needs, please reach out to GNVW4D@gmail.com.

Commitment to Nonviolence: A core principle of No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolence. Any advocacy or signs promoting violence will not be tolerated. If counter-protestors are present, we expect all participants to de-escalate and remain peaceful.

#MutualAid #NoKingsDay #CommunityCare #Indivisible #NorthCentralFloridaIndivisible

No Concentration Camps in Florida!

If you would like to oppose building camps in Florida, join Indivisible Statewide Solidarity. Join this Signal group or sign up to fight a Starke Internment Camp!

Whether these places are called detention centers, internment camps, concentration camps, or “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” we will oppose them.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

• ACLU: Know your rights

• Tips for No Kings Attendees (video)

Who has the biggest influence on your safety?

You do.

“We have met the enemy and it is us.” Walt Kelly

Our goal is to be heard, without getting hurt.

Our emotions can be our worst enemy.

• Fear, anger, outrage are all common, normal, expected.

• We are there because we are passionate.

When we adopt other people’s anger, and reflect their anger back to them, we put OURSELVES at risk.

• Stay peaceful and calm.

• Don’t hate, de-escalate.

• Remember, things can go from verbal to violent in seconds.

If you find yourself getting provoked:

• Try square breathing (breathe in 4 counts, hold 4 counts, breathe out 4 counts, hold 4 counts, repeat).

• Remember that arguing is unlikely to change someone’s mind (especially if they showed up in order to argue), and conflict distracts from our message.

• Take a breather, remove yourself from the situation.

Things to avoid

• Public receptacles (trash cans, dumpsters)

• Police

• Abandoned objects

• Parked vehicles

Things to know

• Where you’re going

• Safe exit routes

• How to recognize safety marshals / peacekeepers and medics

• The all-important question: what’s the best thing for me to do right now?

When interacting with unknown folks, agitated folks, or law enforcement

Create a reaction gap when interacting with anybody who might be agitated or hostile, or law enforcement.

Keep a minimum of six feet distance between you. And stand at a 45 degree body angle to them so that you can move away from them at an angle. Maintain a ready-to-move stance, knees slightly bent, legs a little bit apart so that you are stable and cannot get knocked over or fall over accidentally, and so that you are able to quickly become mobile if you need to.

Deconflict, De-escalate, Depart

Devices

Ensure your device is encrypted. Turn off biometrics such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

Set a strong PIN for your phone.

Sign out of your social media or other accounts that you’re not going to be using during the day.

Use Signal if you need to text with a friend.

If possible, take photos of videos without unlocking your device. (Google how for your device.)

Turn off Bluetooth and turn off mobile hotspot.

Avoid paramilitary optics.

Dressing in full black block, wearing masks, helmets, shields or similar gear may be cited as evidence of support for terrorism, even if people do not commit any violence.

Do not carry tools that can look like weapons. We strongly discourage bringing up any weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon, like bats or heavy sticks, fireworks, explosives, or construction tools. Police can use the presence of such items as proof of violent intent.

Treat all planning spaces as potentially public. Group chats, Discord servers, email lists, can be subpoenaed and used to suggest conspiracy or material support even for people on the periphery.

Nonviolence and de-escalation. We urge everyone to engage in peaceful, nonviolent protest. If someone brings conflict, lower the temperature.

Know your rights. Stay aware. Stay together. Leave early if something feels wrong.

Learn more

Resources from the Democracy Security Project

• De-Escalation Pocket Guide

• Event Emergency Preparedness

• De-Escalation Script & Tips

• Beautiful Trouble’s Assertive Intervention & De-Escalation Tools & Tips resource

• Streetwise & Steady’s Workbook for Action Peacekeepers or Event Marshals

• Indivisible’s Safety, Security, Rights & Conflict De-escalation resource

• ACLU’s Know Your Rights resource

Digital Security Resources

• American Friends Service Committee

• Wired Magazine

• Electronic Frontier Foundation

Share NCFL Indivisible Actions

Make a Call!

This bill goes to the floor of the FL House this week for a final vote. All the phone banking has slowed it down and could block the bill; please make your call! Say your name, street address, and zip code and urge them to Vote NO on HB 1471.

Call Script, thanks to NWL: Hi, xxxxxx, this is xxx, an activist with North Central Florida Indivisible—Gainesville chapter. Join us in protecting First Amendment rights. What FL grassroots groups are calling “the Outlawing Activism bill,” HB 1471, would let the state label people and groups they don’t like as “domestic terrorists.”

Please ask at least 2 friends to make these calls too!

https://www.flhouse.gov/FindYourReprestonightentative

NCFL Indivisibles—There is NO Meeting Tonight.

New Members Welcome—Climate and Environment Committee

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Climate and Environment. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Mar 16, 2026 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GKXAm1CORQGNzYW5QQTrIg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

URGENT! Stop Starke Internment Camp!

The Bradford County Commission is considering inviting ICE to move in, mutating an abandoned industrial warehouse with severe contamination into a “detention center” for over 3,000 people.

We cannot allow this system of concentration warehouses to expand. We cannot allow American Citizens and Residents to be held hostage at gunpoint by our own militarized, deputized armed forces.

Not here. Not anywhere. Not now. Not ever.

Interested in a coalition with Bradford County residents to stop an ICE detention center?

We need your love, your anger and your outrage! Help us with research, writing, organizing, strategizing and protesting!

Sign Up To Fight A Starke Internment Camp!

Subscribe now

Tallahassee Just Voted to Override 75% of Gainesville Voters on GRU. Call the Senate Now

We voted. Twice.

In 2024, 73% of Gainesville voters said, Give us back our utility. A judge tossed that result on a ballot-language technicality. So we voted again in 2025. Seventy-five percent said the same thing. Now the Florida House has decided none of that matters.

What’s Happening

On March 3, the House passed HB 1451 by a vote of 81-26. Tucked inside a utility reporting bill is a 24-word amendment that preempts to the state any regional utility authority created by the legislature after January 1, 2023.

One entity fits that description. Ours. The GRU Authority, five members appointed by Governor DeSantis in 2023 to take control of Gainesville Regional Utilities away from the city.

If this becomes law, no future local vote can undo it. Only Tallahassee could.

Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D-Gainesville) told the House floor: “As written, it applies to only one community at the moment: mine. And it would nullify two certified election results, 73% in 2024 and 75% in 2025.” Her amendment to strip the preemption language was voted down.

Mayor Harvey Ward called it a “cloak and dagger approach,” with the language dropped into committee with no notice and no public discussion.

Why It Matters Here

This isn’t about rate debates. It’s about whether we get to decide who runs our utility.

The GRU Authority’s own attorney told an appeals court that Gainesville’s voter-approved charter amendments amounted to “insurrection against the state of Florida.” That case is still pending, and the legislature is trying to make it moot before a ruling comes down.

No kings, no thrones, no crowns. Not in Tallahassee, and not over our utility.

A Reasonable and Fair Position

Take Action

The bill sits in the Florida Senate. Session ends March 13. Four days. The Senate companion bill (SB 1724) does not contain the GRU preemption language yet. There’s still time.

Call today:

Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R-District 6): (850) 487-5006 / bradley.jennifer.web@flsenate.gov

Sen. Stan McClain (R-District 9): Tallahassee: (850) 487-5009 / Gainesville: (352) 264-4040 / Ocala: (352) 732-1249 / mcclain.stan.web@flsenate.gov

Senate President’s office: (850) 487-5229

Say this: “I’m a Gainesville resident and GRU ratepayer. I urge you to oppose the GRU preemption language from HB 1451. Seventy-five percent of us voted for local control. Respect our vote.”

Four days. Make the calls.

Leave a comment

NCFI EMBRACES MUTUAL AID

NO KINGS 3 - MARCH 28TH, 2026

Share NCFL Indivisible Actions

North Central Florida Indivisible—Regular Meeting

March 4th, 2026, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Join us in person at LifeSouth Community Blood Center—1221 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601.

You can also join the meeting online through Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8HZNO6aKQ66wa1fAFoeVQw Please register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Agenda:

1. Immigration and ICE

2. Proposals

3. No Kings Events (March 28th)

4. Committee updates

LEND A HAND

Stop Starke Internment Camp!

The Bradford County Commission is considering inviting ICE to move in, transforming an abandoned building into a place to warehouse 3,000 people.

We cannot allow this detention system to expand. Not here. Not now. Not ever. Interested in a coalition with Bradford County residents to stop an ICE detention center?

Sign Up To Fight A Starke Internment Camp!

🚨 URGENT: 10 MINUTES TO DEFEND LOCAL CONTROL & DEMOCRACY 🚨

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY

Act now to stop HB 1451 from advancing with a dangerous, last-minute amendment that would override the will of voters and make the state takeover of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) permanent.

What’s happening

Act now to stop HB 1451 from advancing with a dangerous, last-minute amendment that would override the will of voters and make the state takeover of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) permanent.

Earlier this week, a last-minute amendment was quietly added to HB 1451 (Utility Services)—without debate or public testimony—and it will:

• Reverse the GRU referendum, nullifying the will of 75% of Gainesville voters, who just voted again in Nov. to keep GRU under local control

• Preempt any utility created after January 1, 2023

• Eliminate the ongoing court process

• Make the state takeover of GRU permanent (until repealed)

This position—local control of GRU—has been overwhelmingly supported by voters in three separate referendums!

Until this amendment was added, HB 1451 and its Senate companion SB 1724 had bipartisan support. This single amendment threatens that bipartisan foundation.

Take action now (10 minutes)

The legwork has already been done for you:

1️⃣ Send the emails

Click, sign, and send through Sierra Club Florida:
👉 https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/Florida?actionId=AR0601787

2️⃣ Make the phone calls

Call every day until this bill is stopped. You can call 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail—legislative aides listen to all messages.

If a legislator is willing to speak, ask for a brief conversation. Ask them to call you back and leave them an email and a phone number. That will tell them you are serious.

What to say

Key message:

“Respect the will of voters. Let the courts decide. Keep the bill bipartisan by removing the GRU referendum reversal.”

Sample call script

“Hi. My name is [your name]. I live at [your address, city, ZIP code]. I’m calling about the GRU referendum reversal that was added to HB 1451. I’m asking [legislator’s name] to respect the will of voters and keep this amendment OUT of HB 1451 and SB 1724. Let the courts decide, and keep the bill bipartisan by removing the GRU referendum reversal.”

Who to call

Alachua County Legislative Delegation & Bill Sponsors

• Demi Busatta (House sponsor)—(850) 717-5114

• Jonathan Martin (Senate sponsor)—(239) 338-2570

• Jennifer Bradley—(850) 487-5006

• Stan McClain—(850) 487-5009

• Chad Johnson—(850) 717-5022

• Chuck Brannan—(850) 717-5010

• Yvonne Hayes Hinson—(850) 717-5021

You have the power!

Send the emails. Make the calls! Then do it again the next day, till they remove the amendment.
Then, please share this with your networks.

When Chad Johnson had first talked about introducing this bill a year ago, YOU all reacted so strongly that we crashed his email and phone lines—and he had to back down. Your phone calls and emails have worked before—they will work again if you MAKE THEM. Call, email, share with your friends, and share on social media. Be RELENTLESS—THIS IS A LOCAL ISSUE with long-term impact.

News Worth Your Attention

A Discussion on ICE in Alachua County

Local leaders say they’re protecting us. The harder question is whether that’s enough.

A couple hundred people packed Reimer Hall on Sunday for a panel titled “ICE in Alachua County,” and what they heard was equal parts reassuring and unsettling.

Mayor Harvey Ward, County Commissioner Anna Prizzia, Sheriff Chad Scott, and School Board member Sarah Rockwell fielded questions from an audience that filled every seat. Moderator Warren Goldstein worked through a stack of index cards thick enough to fill an hour twice over. The event was not livestreamed or recorded.

What Officials Said

Mayor Ward was blunter about the stakes. “Gainesville likes to say that we’re not going to do what you tell us to do,” he said of the governor’s ICE actions, “but the challenge is to keep our neighbors safe, and that creates a tension.” He noted that Florida’s red-state status cuts both ways: the governor doesn’t want “the optics of a Minneapolis,” but if the state wants to make a point, “we’re here to be pummeled.”

Ward also lifted up Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya, who Ward said came from an undocumented family and was himself a Dreamer. There is no 287(g) agreement with the City of Gainesville.

All 67 counties of Florida have 287g agreements, which all the officials claimed was a good thing for Alachua County residents because they claimed it meant that the local law enforcement is in constant contact with ICE and is aware of what is going to happen.

That was not reassuring to me. Does this reassure you?

Leave a comment

What They Didn’t Say

Commissioner Prizzia offered the sharpest framing: “Some people are more safe than others. What you’re experiencing is empathy.” She directed the mostly white, mostly older audience to get involved with the Rural Women’s Health Project and Indivisible, and reminded them that people who look like them aren’t the ones at risk.

But the panel left gaps. No one addressed Fourth or Fifth Amendment rights. When asked about Flock surveillance cameras, Prizzia acknowledged that private companies can sell that data to anyone, but no panelist addressed whether ICE can access it directly. The question of a rumored permanent ICE office got a dismissal, not an investigation. They did say that they can’t know if a Federal agency rents space - but none of them had heard anything from any business or real estate agency anything to corroborate an increase in ICE activity in Gainesville and Alachua County.

We understand—how does one prove that something didn’t happen? How can one refute rumors?

School Board member Rockwell repeatedly confirmed no ICE activity has occurred on any K-12 campus in Florida and that officers entering schools must be vetted. But she also said the quiet part: “They can just remove us. We are doing things behind the scenes.” She’s pushed for a district-wide “Know Your Rights” message to parents for a year and faced internal pushback.

What You Can Do

• If you hear or see anything related to ICE, call the Sheriff’s office at (352) 955-1818, per Chad Scott. Do not rely on social media to report ICE sightings or verify rumors.

• Gainesville Fire Department’s Community Resource Paramedics don’t keep records or bill Medicaid, a safe healthcare option for anyone afraid to call 911.

• Know your neighbors. Build those relationships and be the person who can pick up a child if a parent doesn’t come home. Don’t be surprised if trust takes time to develop.

• Stay off state roads at protests; the Florida Highway Patrol will arrest you. Coordinate with GPD for safety. They can do lane closures for protests, etc., so that protestors can be safe and the traffic can keep moving as well.

  • We do not recommend coordinating with law enforcement, especially if you have vulnerable folks in your group or you are in a vulnerable neighborhood. We also encourage everyone to get protest safety training and join us for legal observer, ICE Watch, and other trainings. We also encourage protestors to follow the lead of the protest organizers and their safety team. WE keep ourselves safe!

  Push the school district to send “Know Your Rights” info to every family—in Spanish and English. They haven’t. They should.

  Sarah Rockwell gave a shout-out to Jyoti Parmar for suggesting this.

• The people in that room care. The officials on that stage are trying. But caring and trying aren’t the same as protecting, and the people who most need protection weren’t in those seats.

• Stop spreading rumours:

Rumors harm immigrant communities the most—creates panic and dissipates our energy and our attention away from the real work we have to do. Causes us to have to take precautions that are unnecessary. Puts us in a position of having to reassure the folks who are not in danger that they are not in danger. Adds additional stressors on our health and may create consequences of avoiding getting healthcare or going to work or school. Increases the already great stress on us.

Source: Firsthand reporting by North Central Florida Indivisible members.

Panel discussion, “ICE in Alachua County,” held at Reimer Hall, March 1, 2026.

Panelists: Mayor Harvey Ward, Commissioner Anna Prizzia, Sheriff Chad Scott, School Board Member Sarah Rockwell, and RWHP Director Veronica Robleto. Moderator: Warren Goldstein.

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The Iran Strikes Are Illegal. Here’s What We Can Do About It.

Congress never authorized Operation Epic Fury, and our representatives need to hear from us before the next vote.

Three American service members are dead. Iranian authorities report at least 165 people killed when a missile hit an elementary school in Minab, most of them girls between seven and twelve. President Trump launched this military assault without a single vote in Congress.

This isn’t a gray area. We need to talk about it. And we have to act.

What’s Happening

On February 28, the U.S. launched coordinated strikes against Iran, Operation Epic Fury. No congressional authorization. No UN Security Council approval. The Constitution gives Congress alone the power to commit us to war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to consult Congress before deploying forces. Trump consulted no one.

The administration claims Iran was weeks away from a nuclear weapon. Their own Defense Intelligence Agency’s assessment puts that capability in 2035, nine years from now. Three unnamed intelligence officials told the New York Times the president exaggerated the threat. International law experts at Chatham House and the European Council on Foreign Relations call this an illegal war of choice.

A bipartisan coalition, Senator Tim Kaine with Senator Rand Paul, has introduced an emergency war powers resolution demanding congressional authorization for any continued military action.

Why It Matters Here

Our neighbors serve in the military. Our tax dollars funded these strikes. And if this administration can bypass Congress to start a war, every check on executive power that protects our community gets weaker.

We’ve seen this before. The Iraq War started with cherry-picked intelligence and cost over 4,400 American lives. Our sister publication Resist and Rise published a full investigation this morning breaking down the legal violations, the intelligence manipulation, and the diplomatic fallout. It’s worth your time.

Take Action

Call our representatives today. Tell them to support the Kaine-Paul war powers resolution. Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Ask for Senator Scott, Senator Rubio, or your House member by name.

Read the full investigation. Resist and Rise has the complete legal and factual breakdown: resistandrise.blue.

Know your rights if you speak out. The ACLU and the National Lawyers Guild have know-your-rights guides. A federal judge has already ruled this administration targeted protestors unconstitutionally.

Support the organizations doing the work. Human Rights First, Protect Democracy, and the Center for International Policy are on the front lines.

The Constitution doesn’t have a “but we’re scared” clause. Our representatives work for us. Remind them.

For the full investigation, read “This Is Not a War. It’s a Crime.” from Resist and Rise—published today.

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Please let us know what you think about the new version of NCFL Indivisible Actions.

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Our switch to Substack helps in a couple of ways. You’ll still get our updates to your inbox roughly once a week, but you can also subscribe to more frequent content we’re planning. You do not have to join Substack to continue receiving this newsletter. If you already use Substack, you can have local news and actions in your feed, alongside HCR and Suleika and Ezra.

Substack also makes it easy for us to publish multiple contributors on different schedules. That means you’ll hear more voices and in-depth content, and stories can go out before the entire next issue is ready.

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Anti-Racism for Activists

Even as we strive to improve our communities and country, we must confront the ingrained racism in our culture. Learn to spot unconscious bias, center lived experiences and apply this work to our activism daily. Combat racism within and outside to make this movement truly inclusive.

RSVP here: RSVP Form Anti-Racism for Activists

About the trainer: Denise Devonish has worked in Gainesville since 1996.

Denise moved to the USA from Barbados in 1991 to attend school at Miami Dade Community College and the University of Florida. As a young, multiracial, foreign woman in Florida, she experienced various cultures and differences. Denise witnessed the complexities of being a non-national, multiracial woman in the USA. In her professional life, she navigated issues of race, socioeconomic inequities, and acceptance of individuals with disabilities. Her skills helped her understand different perspectives and resolve conflicts arising from these differences.

Denise holds a Bachelor’s in Behavioral Analysis and a Master’s in Special Education from the University of Florida. She’s an administrator and staff trainer at Tacachale, a developmentally disabled institution, and a Protective Services Counselor with the Department of Children and Families. She’s also a Health Facility Evaluator at the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Pay what you can to support Denise ($2-30); join us regardless of your ability to pay. We have sponsors to cover any shortfall. Any extra funds will be used for upcoming trainings.

Energy and Climate Action Brainstorm

Energy and Climate Action Brainstorm is this Friday, Feb 27th from 10 to 11:30 am via Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RVWr4MlyRIKi1iMEOrPUmg

Register in advance for this meeting

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

We hope that you will all be able to join.

Rough draft agenda:

10:00-10:20: Intros, icebreaker, review of last meeting

10:20-10:40: Review of top 6 ideas

10:40-11:00: Evaluate and select final projects

11:00-11:15: Break into workgroups

11:15-11:30: Next steps

Our intention with the ECAT Brunch and Brainstorm meeting was to hear from our environmentally conscious community about the work everyone is doing or would like to do. We are eager to work with others or supplement meaningful work that is already being done or select work that isn’t being done yet.

I categorized the list of potential actions from our brainstorming sessions, Original Brainstormed Ideas List and welcome your reflection and response. Based on your responses and feedback, we have shortened the list to six main issues:

• Regional Climate Compact

• Renewable Energy

• Environmental Justice - Brownfields & more

• Transportation

• Energy Burdens

• GRU

At our meeting this Friday, I look forward to evaluating these ideas and discussing what is feasible and what everyone wants to work on so that we can choose our campaigns. If folks decide, we can create workgroups.

Here are photos of the easel notes we took from the first meeting, and the rich list of ideas we generated at the second meeting is here: Original Brainstormed Ideas List

If there is an issue we’ve not discussed yet, please mention it; it’s never too late!

PLEASE RSVP See you on Friday!

News Worth Your Attention

SAVE Act Update: House Passes Voter ID Bill Expect Senate Fight Ahead

The bill that could block 21 million Americans from voting just cleared the House. Here’s what you need to know.

The House passed the SAVE America Act on February 11, 2026, by a razor-thin 218-213 vote. This is the same proof-of-citizenship voting bill we covered in our sister publication Resist and Rise last April—and everything we warned about then still applies.

This is a follow-up story to SAVE Act 2025: How New Voter ID Laws Could Restrict Voting Rights, originally published on Resist and Rise. For the full analysis of how these laws disproportionately impact women, communities of color, and low-income voters, read the original article.

What’s in the Bill

The SAVE Act requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, which includes a valid U.S. passport or a birth certificate plus photo ID. The 2026 version adds a new photo ID requirement at the polls and mandates that states run voter rolls through a federal database to flag potential non-citizens.

Here’s the problem: 21.3 million Americans don’t have citizenship documents readily available, according to the Brennan Center. That’s more than 9% of voting-age citizens.

The original facts from our April analysis haven’t changed:

One-third of women have citizenship documents that don’t match their current legal name.

Latino voter turnout drops 10.3 percentage points in states with strict photo ID laws.

Multi-racial Americans see a 12.8 percentage point turnout decline.

The Non-Existent Problem

Utah just finished a nine-month review of over 2 million registered voters. They found exactly one non-citizen registration. Zero votes cast.

Non-citizen voting is already illegal under federal law. It’s also vanishingly rare. This bill solves a problem that doesn’t exist while creating real barriers for millions of eligible voters.

What Happens Next

The bill faces long odds in the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, but the filibuster means they need 60 votes to pass. That would require Democratic support, which isn’t coming.

But don’t breathe easy yet. This is the third consecutive year the House has passed this legislation. The pressure campaign continues, and Florida’s state legislature could pursue similar requirements independently.

Take Action

1. Call Senator Rick Scott: (202) 224-5274—Tell him to oppose the SAVE Act.

2. Call Senator Ashley Moody: (202) 224-3041—same message

3. Share the facts: When neighbors repeat “non-citizen voting” myths, point them to Utah’s 2-million-voter audit that found almost nothing

The SAVE Act isn’t about election security. It’s about making it harder for eligible Americans to vote. We’ve seen this playbook before.

This is a follow-up to SAVE Act 2025: How New Voter ID Laws Could Restrict Voting Rights, originally published on Resist and Rise. For the full analysis of how these laws disproportionately impact women, communities of color, and low-income voters, read the original article.

Sources:

Congress.gov

H.R.22 SAVE Act

Votebeat

How the SAVE America Act would affect 2026 elections

A Republican plan to overhaul voting is back

Campaign Legal Center What You Need to Know About the SAVE Act

Five Things to Know

LEND A HAND

Stop Starke Internment Camp!

The Bradford County Commission is considering inviting ICE to move in, transforming an abandoned building into a place to warehouse 3,000 people.

We cannot allow this detention system to expand. Not here. Not now. Not ever. Interested in a coalition with Bradford County residents to stop an ICE detention center?

Sign Up To Fight A Starke Internment Camp!

North Central Florida Indivisible—Regular Meeting

March 4th, 2026 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm - LifeSouth Community Blood Center - 1221 NW 13th Street Gainesville, FL 32601

Agenda:

1. Planning for action Starke Internment Camp

2. Planning for upcoming NoKings protest - 1 month away (March 28th, 2026)

3. Safety Training for Organized Peaceful Protestors

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Let us know what you think about the new version of NCFL Indivisible Actions.

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Look out for our new look - and let us know what you think.

In the coming days and weeks and months we will explore all the fantastic functionality of Substack and maybe podcasts and live broadcasts! Substack even has a community and chat - we will explore that soon.