In Jacksonville, Florida, the city’s Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, Yanira “Yaya” Cardona, has been placed on administrative leave following an Instagram livestream in which she alerted the community to the increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. News4JAX reports that Cardona, who was working when she made the video, was seen discussing reports about ICE conducting speed traps and targeting businesses commonly operated by Hispanic and immigrant workers. Despite the concern for community safety she expressed, Cardona’s actions have been seen as a breach of the city’s social media policy by some officials.
The City of Jacksonville’s directive, which prohibits certain online behaviors by city employees during work hours, was allegedly violated by Cardona’s actions. Mayor Donna Deegan addressed the situation, stating in a First Coast News interview, “This is certainly an issue that stokes fear in our community and I hate that. But what you cannot do when you work for an administration is go do what you want to do.” Cardona’s video, filmed at City Hall without permission, now has her in hot water due to the city’s strict guidelines surrounding the creation and dissemination of social media content.
Reactions to Cardona’s suspension have been mixed, with statements obtained by different news outlets reflecting the spectrum of opinions. As per News4JAX, Mayor Deegan underscored the necessity of all parties, including ICE agents and immigrants, to follow the law. Meanwhile, Attorney General James Uthmeier condemned Cardona’s comments on X, implying illegality, and state officials such as Representative Kiyan Michael called her actions “absolutely unacceptable” in alignment with Florida’s immigration laws…