Immigrant-Rich Miami-Dade Split Over Sanctuary City Order

MIAMI (AP) — The mayor is an immigrant, and more than half its residents are foreign born.

But unlike many cities with large numbers of immigrants, there's no sanctuary for people living illegally in Miami-Dade County, Florida. A recent decision by Mayor Carlos Gimenez requires local police to cooperate with federal officials to enforce immigration law.

The decree has roiled the area, drawing criticism from the mayors of Miami and Miami Beach cities. Immigration advocates and others opposed to the shift have filled the streets in protest, and a long-standing divide between Cuban-Americans and other Latinos has reappeared. Meanwhile, farmworkers who have lived in the area for years to plant and harvest vegetables on vast commercial farms fear they'll be deported.

The county's commissioners have called for a special meeting Friday to confront the mayor.