Thread: FL immigration bill could hurt tourism, legislators say

Florida immigration bill could hurt tourism, legislators say

by Victor Manuel Ramos on August, 23 2010 4:42 PM
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A statewide immigrant coalition that reacted angrily last week to an Arizona-style immigration enforcement bill in Florida, showed today that it has support from state Legislators who are concerned about the economic impact of such a bill on a state that depends on tourist dollars.

Members of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, a Miami-based advocacy group that represents immigrants throughout the state, were joined by members of the black and Hispanic caucuses of the state legislature and others who question the Arizona approach in Florida.

Arizona’s SB 1070 law has been challenged by the federal government and criticized by civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups because of its controversial pursuit of illegal immigrants through local law enforcement.

Florida’s bill, being pushed by gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum and Rep. William Snyder, is modeled after Arizona’s. It would also require local law enforcement agents to check the status of suspected illegal immigrants while making it obligatory for aliens to carry documentation showing proof of legal status.

Legislators said that type of law could hurt the state’s thriving tourism industry if foreign visitors become afraid of heavy-handed enforcement tactics. Florida is not Arizona, they said.

“It’s important to be able to differentiate between a border security issue and immigration and somehow because of Arizona and the rhetoric that has been associated with that legislation, it’s all been tied into one… Arizona is obviously facing some very violent drug gangs in their border with Mexico and that has caused some problems over there that their Legislature has reacted to. Obviously in Florida, here, we don’t have that problem. Our borders states are part of the United States so that issue shouldn’t be applied to Florida,â€

Go figure,illegals are doing so good they're taking vacations.I am barely staying afloat,gee am i doing something wrong?