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Palm Bay Council member apologizes for comments
Palm Bay Council Member Chandler Langevin appeared to walk back some of his comments towards Indian Americans, which have received heavy backlash. He posted a statement Thursday night on X.
PALM BAY, Fla. - The Palm Bay City Council voted 4-1 on Thursday to ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to endorse the suspension of Councilmember Chandler Langevin from office, though he remains a sitting member until the governor takes action.
In the meantime, the council voted to censure Langevin and remove him from all city boards, effective immediately. City attorneys are also drafting ethics violation claims they plan to send to state Sen. Debbie Mayfield for submission.
Langevin has refused to resign, saying he will only leave office if the governor formally removes him.
Controversial comments posted on X
The backstory:
Palm Bay Councilmember Chandler Langevin on Thursday appeared to walk back some controversial posts he made on social media that many felt were offensive towards Indian Americans and people from India.
His posts have sparked days of public backlash, including some from colleagues on the Palm Bay City Council. On Thursday, Palm Bay City Council met to discuss whether or not to send a letter to Florida Gov. DeSantis asking for Lengevin to be suspended from his position.
In previous posts on X, Langevin claimed Indian Americans "don't assimilate" into society and are "here to drain our pockets," calling for their deportation.
Langevin’s remarks also criticized certain immigration policies, including the H-1B visa program, which he noted predominantly involves Indian immigrants. His comments sparked backlash from political leaders and community members, highlighting tensions around immigration and community relations in Palm Bay.
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His comments sparked major backlash from community members, social media users, and members of Palm Bay government, including Mayor Rob Medina.
Mayor Medina called a special council meeting Tuesday night, but because only two members were present, it became a town hall where dozens of residents voiced concerns. Langevin did not attend but defended his posts online, writing that the political speech on X does not meet the threshold for removal from office.
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Several have called for Langevin's removal, including some elected officials. That prompted a council meeting Thursday night on whether to send a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis requesting his suspension.
Councilmember Langevin: ‘I will be meeting with the leaders of our Indian community’
Before the meeting, Langevin posted on X attempting to clarify his remarks but did not issue a full apology. The council was hearing public comments from dozens of residents attending to voice opinions on Langevin’s future.
"I just had a great call with the leaders of the Indian Community," Langevin posted on X.
"In Brevard County and in other parts of Florida we have great patriotic Americans that happen to be of Indian heritage. I personally consider them Americans and my comments were not directed at them. I stand by comments in regard to all forms of illegal immigration, and I believe that there are significant flaws in our immigration system that are working against Americans. The H1-b visa is one of these and made up of predominantly Indian immigrants."
Langevin said he intends to meet with leaders of the Indian community to discuss national and local issues.
What they're saying:
Other local elected officials have voiced support for the Indian American community. Rep. Mike Haridopolos praised the community for valuing family, education, and charitable work.
Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina also issued a statement celebrating the city’s diversity.
"Palm Bay’s strength has always come from the diversity of its people," Medina said. "Recently, public remarks directed at Americans of Indian descent have caused pain and division. Let me be clear, words that demean or devalue others have no place in Palm Bay."
In response post on X, Langevin wrote, "Diversity is not our strength and no conservative would ever say that. Our strength comes from rugged Americanism and the Christian values our Founding Fathers developed in forming this Republic."
The Source: This story was written based on public statements made by Palm Bay Councilmember Chandler Langevin, Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, and U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, as well as comments made by the public at Palm Bay Council meetings on Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.