Thread: Immigration Advocates in Florida are Mounting a Final Push

Florida Immigration Advocates Mount Final Fight Against Arizona-Style Bills in Their State:

AP

Immigration advocates in Florida are mounting a final push this week for the defeat of Arizona-style immigration bills pending in the state House and Senate.

Published April 25, 2011

Fox News Latino

With two weeks left in Florida’s legislative session, opponents of two immigration bills pending in the state House and Senate are mounting a final fight.

They boarded buses by the hundreds around the state Monday to hold protests in Miami’s Little Havana and Tallahassee, the state capitol, against bills that would allow police to check immigration status, would require employers to use E-Verify, the federal database, to check on the status of workers, and would make it a state crime to be undocumented in Florida.

A group from Clearwater was heading to Tallahassee to join a march by immigrant children. On Tuesday in Tallahassee, growers and fieldworkers will highlight the bills' effects on agriculture. A day later, Dream Act-eligible students will target lawmakers.

Those who back the bills say something must be done to address the failed immigration system and maintain businesses are simply protecting cheap labor. They say undocumented immigrants are a drain on public services, and are taking jobs away at a time of high unemployment.

Those who oppose them say they will lead to racial and ethnic profiling, make life uncomfortable even for legal immigrants and U.S. citizens whom a police officer may suspect of being in the country illegally, and hurt tourism and agriculture in Florida.

Last week, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center along with the American Civil Liberties Union said they plan to sue the state immediately if the Florida legislature passes either of the two pending immigration bills. Immigrant advocates say components of the House bill closely resemble the very ones in Arizona's new immigration law that a federal appeals court recently upheld were unconstitutional.

"Some of our legislators are trying to push forward bills that would have devastating effects on the state," said executive director Cheryl Little during a news conference with community leaders and the ACLU. She said it will make immigrants already fearful of law enforcement more afraid of cooperating with local officials.

"If one of these bills becomes law, FIAC is ready to sue," she added.

The Senate bill is more limited, but it still requires local law enforcement check the immigration status of inmates, encouraging them to go beyond simply using federal criminal and immigration databases. The Senate bill would also allow businesses to let employees use a driver's license as proof they are authorized to work, instead of the E-Verify program.

Supporters of stronger immigration enforcement say the Senate version of the bill is worthless because driver licenses from other states are too easy to forge and won't prove work eligibility.

The Advocacy Center's attorneys said they were dumbfounded that Florida Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, would propose a bill that includes provisions so close to the Arizona measures that have been blocked.

Attorney Tania Galloni added that the Florida House provision for allowing state criminal judges to decide whether individuals are in the country illegally for sentencing purposes directly usurps federal immigration judges' authority and would also likely be held unconstitutional.

Several organizations including the SEIU began running ads this week on Spanish-language radio attacking South Florida's State Sen. Anitere Flores, who has shepherded the bill through the Senate, and House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who has opposed the legislation but has done little publicly to sway his colleagues.

Neither those officials, nor Snyder, returned calls from The Associated Press Thursday seeking comment.

Little did not focus on the E-Verify aspect of the legislation. But for some supporters of the bills, that is key.

Joyce Tarnow of the Floridians for a Sustainable Population was deeply disappointed with the Senate version of the bill, not because its enforcement provisions are watered down but because it doesn't make E-Verify mandatory.

She noted the latest review of the program by the U.S. Congress found it was accurate nearly 98 percent of the time.

"E-Verify is free, easy to use, highly accurate," she said, adding, "The agricultural industry and hotel industries just don't want to lose their access to cheap labor. It's the simplest, clearest way to have people self-deport."

This is based on a story by The Associated Press.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politi ... lls-state/

A group from Clearwater was heading to Tallahassee to join a march by immigrant children. On Tuesday in Tallahassee, growers and fieldworkers will highlight the bills' effects on agriculture. A day later, Dream Act-eligible students will target lawmakers.

AWWWW, isn't that touching? Put your kids out there... all so Mommy and Daddy can stay! Hey kids, now you know your true purpose in life was to become Mommy and Daddy's anchor!

Go Florida! Don't back down right is right! Don't allow yourselves to be blackmailed on the emotional level.

don't back down Fl
this is your country not Mexico. do they do this in Mexico
I don't think so ?
they have no right in hell come on all you gov do your Job
this is your country also we American Demand . you to do your Job
or should we all March to the WH ?
& we American have the right to do just that
so all of the illegal Immigrant go back home & tell your gov what you want ? no can do that mon
No Amnesty
come on all you other state get ON the ball I have said this befor
this is your country
No amnesty

It may have worked a 2 or 3 years ago but not anymore. People are fed up and between the bad economy, unemployment where illegals are still working and Americans are not, the increase in property taxes in some cities and counties and/or cuts in services and now with the biggest public hospital in Miami almost bankrupt and no tax money to bail it out completely people have woken up. When Jackson hospital started releasing more information about illegals and what they are costing more people started getting against it. Last year Jackson stopped the kidney dialysis program for uninsured and told the media that 1/3 of those coming 3 days a week were illegal immigrants. Then last week it came out how illegals were being flown home due to the costs of keeping them long term in the hospital. In the last 2 days there was an article about how badly the garduates are doing and needing remedial help and the ESOL programs at night school and the cost. The majority of the comments after the sob stories are deport them, heavily fine and/or jail employers who hire them, let the activists and/or employers pay they hospital bills and for social programs and other similar comments. There are very few who feel sorry for them. In fact the Miami Herald doesn't keep those stories on the home page of their website for long since the comments are almost all saying deport and what part of illegal don't you understand. They will keep it for anywhere between 2 to 6 hours whereas previoulsy it would be up for a day or more.

I sure hope you are right Swatchick.I am worried they are making the big push here in FL to make it the next conquered IA colony like CA.

I hope all those leaving comments on Newspaper articles are also contacting our Legislature too.

Immigration advocates in Florida are mounting a final push this week for the defeat of Arizona-style immigration bills pending in the state House and Senate.

Do not worry about the advocates; enact the immigration laws, so this Country can become stable again Florida.