Innocent Children and Employers Facing Severe Labor Shortages Pay Price of Senseless Cruelty
TALLAHASSEE – ABIC Action condemns the Florida state Senate’s fast-track approval Wednesday of a bill, 1808, reinforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ anti-immigrant agenda as it is bad for the state’s employers facing severe labor shortages and will create fear and uncertainty for a broad range of immigrants throughout Florida. This caps months of deliberate targeting by Governor DeSantis of innocent children who depend on shelter and care from organizations like Catholic Charities.
“The Governor’s shameful bill was crafted for political reasons. It hurts employers already facing extreme shortages and innocent children cared for by faith institutions like the Archdiocese of Miami. We’ve seen too many times in the Americas and now in Europe when tyrants engage in bullying and political theater, and innocent children, families and lives pay the price of their cruelty,” said Mike Fernandez, MBF Healthcare Chairman and ABIC Action Co-Chair.
ABIC Action released a 6-figure Spanish language media buy last month taking aim at Governor DeSantis for supporting anti-immigrant and anti-business measures. The bill, SB 1808, sponsored by state Sen. Aaron Bean, (R-Jacksonville), purports to ban all state and local government contracts with transportation companies that transport undocumented immigrants into the state. In practice, this bill would cause great harm to children, families and businesses. It would inject uncertainty into our supply chain, placing public entities at risk of not getting critical resources to serve Floridians. The vague legislation also means that many immigrants in the state could be targeted, including Afghan evacuees, unaccompanied children, family members of active U.S. military service-members, asylum-seekers, trafficking victims, and Temporary Protected Status TPS) holders, in particular those who are awaiting work permits.
The Governor’s bill, as it stands now, could harm Florida’s 350,000 Venezuelans on temporary protected status. With many work permits still pending due to administrative delays and backlogs, this bill will mark many in the Venezuelan community as deportable even if they are authorized to be here. Venezuelans, a key swing constituency with growing power in Florida, reject bullying and political theater, whether it is in Venezuela, in Europe or in Florida.
As Venezuelan community leaders noted in a Wednesday letter to legislative leaders, “Many of us with Temporary Protected Status have work permits delayed due to long backlogs at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. As written, this legislation would define us as ‘unauthorized aliens’ because our applications for work permits are delayed through no fault of our own.” The letter follows this statement.
The companion bill in the House, HB 1355, sponsored by Rep. John Snyder (R-Stuart) also is moving quickly through that chamber, setting the stage for rapid enactment by DeSantis.
“We will continue to push back against legislative and executive actions that target immigrant communities – especially vulnerable children – while harming Florida and our nation’s economy,” Fernandez said.
FULL LETTER:
Open Letter from Florida’s Venezuelan Leaders to Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-10), Senator Aaron Bean (R-4), Senator Kathleen Passidomo (R-28), House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-65), Rep. John Snyder (R-82):
As leaders and organizations from throughout Florida’s Venezuelan-American community, we write to express our opposition to the Governor’s anti-immigrant bill, SB 1808/HB 1355.
The Governor’s anti-immigrant bill is a direct attack on Florida’s Venezuelan community. Many of us with Temporary Protected Status have work permits delayed due to long backlogs at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. As written, this legislation would define us as “unauthorized aliens” because our applications for work permits are delayed through no fault of our own.
All these people want – our family, our neighbors – is to be able to work to provide for their families.
It is an outrage that this bill risks jeopardizing their ability to do so, injects instability and uncertainty into their long-term plans.
As Venezuelans, we are a key and growing part of Florida’s communities and economy. We join a proud tradition of immigrants making this state an economic powerhouse.
This bill was done for political reasons. We’ve seen too many times in the Americas and now in Europe when strongmen engage in bullying and political theater, innocent children, workers and families are hurt.
This is wrong in Ukraine, it is wrong in Venezuela, and it is wrong in Florida.
We urge our state legislators to reject this bill.
SIGNATORIES:
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William Diaz, Founder, Casa De Venezuela Orlando
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Rohel Tovar, Casa de Venezuela Southwest Florida
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Belkys Polanco, Casa de Venezuela Jacksonville
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Brenda Stephens, Casa de Venezuela Emerald Coast
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Norma Camero Reno, Casa de Venezuela Tampa Bay
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Lorena Camacho, Casa de Venezuela Sanford
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Maria Antonietta Diaz, Founder and President, Venezuelan American Alliance, Miramar
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Maria Corina Vegas, Florida Business and Community Coordinator, American Business Immigration Coalition Action
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Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Venezuelan American Caucus, Orlando
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Adelys Ferro, Venezuelan American Caucus, Weston
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Cecilia Gonzalez, JOVENEX, Kissimmee
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Ronald Rosales, Pembroke Pines
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Virginia Celli, Orlando
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Jose Gamboa, Deltona
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Carlos Artigas Segovia, Orlando
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Yael Muller, Board Secretary, Miami New Drama, Coral Gables
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Victoria Azpurua, Raymond James & Associates, Coral Gables
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Carola Bravo, HartVest Project, Miami
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Carolina Diaz, Lokius LLC, Weston
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Maria A. Marquez, Miami
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Cioly J. Alvarez, Orlando
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Diana Medina, Miami
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Mariela Briceño, Venprendedoras, Miami
ABOUT
ABIC Action is the political arm of the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), a bipartisan coalition of over 1,200+ CEOs, business owners, and trade associations across 16 mostly red and purple states. ABIC Action promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and citizens. ABIC Action works to win bipartisan solutions at the state and federal levels on the way to winning a path to citizenship for as many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants as possible.