‘Mean-spirited’: Councilman says he won’t support bill that would ban city funds for services to undocumented immigrants

A Jacksonville councilman expressed his disapproval of a bill moving forward in the city council that aims to prohibit the use of city funds for services to people living in the country illegally.

Councilman Matt Carlucci said in a statement to News4JAX on Friday he was “deeply troubled” by Ordinance 025-0138, and called it “flawed and mean-spirited,” adding that the bill does not reflect his values or “the kind the great city of Jacksonville should strive for.”

The bill, introduced by Councilman Rory Diamond, would track how city, state and federal grants are used for DEI, and services that support immigrants living in the country illegally.

Diamond said the bill is “essentially the second half” of the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act that was approved by the city counc