ABIC Action Condemns FL State Legislature’s Expansion of Migrant Relocation Program

TALLAHASSEE – Today, the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) issued the following statements in response to the Florida State Legislature’s move to approve expansion of the Migrant Relocation Program (SB-6B) which includes $10 million to establish a migrant transport program to continue Governor DeSantis’ initiative that spent at least $1.5 million to fly 49 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in August last year.

“I am devastated to hear about the passing of SB-6B, a policy that not only hurts immigrants but also threatens Florida’s economy. The expansion of the migrant relocation program is a clear sign that hard-working immigrants aren’t welcomed in our state, leaving business owners in limbo, waiting to find employees.

Business owners have been struggling to fill critical positions and transporting immigrants out of Florida does nothing to help our economy. It does not benefit Floridians who are struggling with inflation, have been affected by recent hurricanes and/or continue to recover from the pandemic. Shame on those who too easily forget that immigrants have built our state and are the backbone of our economy.”

“The DeSantis administration doesn’t seem to want to stop attacking our immigrant communities. Meanwhile our healthcare system suffers from unprecedented labor shortage levels, making it harder to service the residents of our state.

Immigrants truly want to contribute to our economy with their hard-working spirit. However, the passing of SB-6B represents a step in the wrong direction for our state. In fact, research has shown that Florida’s healthcare professional labor shortage is only getting worse and migrants can help fill up those critical roles. That’s why I totally reject this migrant transport program that does nothing but hurt our state’s economy.”

“As an evangelical Christian leader in Florida, I am grieved at Governor DeSantis’ migrant relocation program. Our church is built of immigrants who have recently escaped socialist, brutal, and murderous dictatorships in their countries. These recent arrivals have come here to rebuild their lives. In doing so, they grow our economy and invest in our businesses.

Florida must once again become a state that welcomes immigrants, upholding both Christian and American values of welcoming and enabling immigrants to live out their God-given dignity and to be treated with compassion and respect.”

One in five Florida residents is an immigrant, and the state benefits enormously from the diversity, energy, and contributions of our immigrant communities. Almost 400,000 are entrepreneurs, with $8.1 billion per year in business income. Immigrant households earn $138.6 billion per year, pay $31.4 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, and have a total spending power of $107.3 billion.

Cubans, and more recently Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and others, are part of a proud legacy of new immigrants building Florida into an economic powerhouse. The success of our immigrant communities was the result of welcoming immigration policies and supportive neighbors.

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 17 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.