Thursday, March 28, 2024

Florida State Senate Passes Controversial Immigration Plan

Late last week, the Florida State Senate authorized an immigration plan to increase immigration enforcement that may affect undocumented migrants in the state. The plan can hurt many undocumented migrants seeking asylum and migrant children waiting to be reunited with their families.

The controversial plan targets transportation businesses that help bring undocumented immigrants into the state of Florida and would fight to prohibit “sanctuary cities.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made this proposal his main priority.

This proposal supports Gov. DeSantis administration’s efforts to stop shutter shelters from providing services and housing to unaccompanied migrant children while they wait for their refugee or immigration status to be processed.  According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, at least 3,400 unaccompanied children were placed in shelters by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement in 2021.

During a debate last week with Democratic and Republican elected officials, Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said the bill was developed to send a message to President Biden on immigration enforcement.

“What we’re doing, very simply, here is singling out people that we don’t like and that are not invited, the overwhelming majority of whom are decent, good human beings. And we care about life here. Irony is thick. Seriously guys?”  commented Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach, against his Republican colleagues supporting the new immigration plan.

CBS Miami