Social advocacy groups warn immigrants against traveling in Florida

by | Feb 13, 2018


The Florida Immigrant Coalition and several other social advocacy groups are warning immigrants about traveling in Florida and have issued their own emergency travel advisory for the state.

“Immigrants across Florida feel more threatened than ever before, with attacks on the national level being amplified by local anti-immigrant policies and corporations that refuse to protect their customers,” the coalition of groups said in a news release issued Tuesday.

The groups point to last month’s agreements between 17 Florida sheriffs and U.S. Immigration and Customs.  But, what those group’s don’t point out is that the agreements create a  partnership to take criminal illegal aliens off of the streets and house them in local jails for 48 hours, giving ICE officers more time to pick the individual up for potential deportation.

They also point to numbers compiled by the Pew Research Center which show Miami had the biggest increase in the number of ICE arrests for last  year–a jump of 76 percent.

The groups highlight recent videos that have been posted on Florida Immigrant Coalition’s Facebook page. One reportedly shows a Jamaican grandmother being profiled and detained on a Greyhound bus and a man from Trinidad being led  away from a bus in handcuffs.

“In light of these facts, all immigrants are urged to reconsider visiting Florida and especially recommended to avoid high risk areas, including ports, airports and Greyhound stations,” the groups said in their release. “While a boycott is not being recommended at this time, travelers to Florida are being asked to use discretion, understand their risks and seek legal advice.”

Tuesday’s travel warning comes on the same day that House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is expected to run for governor, debates Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is already a candidate, on the subject of sanctuary cities.

The 45-minute debate will be streamed live and will be available  on each politician’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/RichardCorcoran/?fref=mentions&pnref=story

https://www.facebook.com/andrewgillumfl/

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