The state of Florida is fairly densely populated by immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, Haiti and various parts of South America. Every fifth resident is a visitor. And the Republican Party could not ignore this situation.
State legislators plan to pass a law against “cities of refuge”. According to him, local law enforcement agencies must maintain contact with the Federal Migration Service. Those who ignore the innovation will be held accountable.
According to the new initiative, the local government will maximally promote compliance with the federal immigration law. And that means – to detain suspected migrants without documents before the arrival of ICE employees. Everyone who refused to comply with the new law will be fined up to $ 5,000.
Senator Joe Grüters said that if an immigrant is a hardworking person and does not violate the law, then he has no reason to fear.
Every decision on the issue of migrants affects the economy of Florida. A fifth of the state’s population is migrants. The closer to Miami, the higher the percentage of visiting residents – 53% for Miami and Orlando. The owners of 120 state-owned enterprises, concerned about the economic situation in the state, wrote an open letter to the governor and legislators.
After the promulgation of the bill, senators tried to contact the immigrant protection associations. The American Civil Liberties Union said earlier that over the past 2 years, 420 US citizens in Miami-Dade have received erroneous detention orders.
Picture Credit: Joe Perales