Pinellas officials call school immigration agreement a ‘mistake’

Tampa Bay Times | By Jeffrey S. Solochek | March 11, 2025

“There was nothing malicious about it,” district police chief Luke Williams said.

Praising Pinellas County school district police Chief Luke Williams as an “outstanding human being,” school board members on Tuesday backed off their criticism of the chief’s unauthorized signing of a federal immigration enforcement agreement.

The board called Williams to its workshop for an explanation of his decision to apply to participate in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement “street-level” program, referred to as 287(g).

News of his signature caused an outcry in the community, fueled by comments from Superintendent Kevin Hendrick’s office that the action occurred “without the knowledge or authorization” of the superintendent or board.

Williams told the board that he followed his chain of command, informing Assistant Superintendent Clint Herbic and school district lawyer David Koperski that he completed the document after learning in a meeting with Sheriff Bob Gualtieri that “there was no other alternative but to comply.”

“In hindsight, would I have stopped the superintendent when he was passing as I was talking to Mr. Koperski about it?” Williams said. “I should have.”

He stressed that his only intent was to follow state and federal directives that all police agencies provide information saying they would have employees available to learn about the federal immigration database to assist future enforcement. He said he was not committing to anything — particularly using officers for immigration sweeps in schools.

“For me to do anything that would be contrary to the safety and well being of our students would be contrary to my grain as a person,” Williams said. “I am a champion of all our children no matter what they look like and where they come from.”

Luke Williams, chief of Pinellas Schools Police, explains his decision to file an application to participate in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program during a school board workshop on Tuesday at the school district’s headquarters in Largo.

Board members told Williams they viewed what happened, and the resulting public fallout, as a “significant ball drop.”

Vice chairperson Caprice Edmond said the district needs specific policies to ensure that all legal documents and agreements, especially politically sensitive ones, go through staff attorneys.

Hendrick said he understood the political nature of the immigration issue. He mentioned the district’s procedures for cooperating with federal agents, which had been vetted by lawyers, and said the chief’s agreement did not fall within those parameters.

Still, he told the board he considered the situation a “one-off” that ultimately caused no harm, while also clarifying the district’s role when it comes to immigration enforcement. ICE declined the district’s application, saying it did not expect school police to participate.

“I don’t think it represents the regular way of work. It doesn’t,” Hendrick said of the dropped lines of communication on the issue. “I don’t see the need to create a new process. A mistake was made, and it was corrected.”

He would not say whether any employees face additional consequences over the situation.

Board member Stephanie Meyer said she hoped everyone learned lessons from what happened, adding she was glad the situation was handled quickly.

“I have full trust in you, and you are more than capable of keeping our students safe,” she told Williams. “I am glad we have clarity now. … We are on the other side of it.”

So far, other Florida school district police departments have not applied for the federal program.

The Florida Department of Education said it expected all schools to cooperate with all law enforcement agencies in applying federal immigration laws, but it did not mandate participation in the program.

“If school district police agencies believe that a 287(g) agreement is beneficial to the safety of the school district, we encourage them to submit an application,” department spokesperson Sydney Booker said via email.