Florida Republicans are poised to pass into law an anti-immigrant bill that will target asylum-seeking children and expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s grip on the state’s immigrant communities.
SB 1808 passed along near party lines, with local advocate Thomas Kennedy noting that Democratic Rep. Andrew Learned voted with Republicans, after speaking out against the bill in committee. “Pretty scummy to throw immigrant kids under the bus because he is scared of a tough reelection,” Kennedy wrote.
But Democrats nevertheless largely opposed the bill during debate and voting, urging compassion for vulnerable children who arrived to the U.S. alone in search of safety. Meanwhile, Republicans spewed despicable “invasion” rhetoric that’s been used in recent years by racist mass murderers.
Florida Phoenix reports that Democratic Rep. Joe Geller “argued that people are fooling themselves if they think their ancestors scrupulously abided by immigration law—one of his forebears lied about his health problems to gain access, he said.”
“Don’t give in to this fearmongering,” he urged lawmakers, the report said. Remember, the flights of children into Florida (and elsewhere) have regularly happened for years. They’re routine. But Republicans like Ron DeSantis are now trying to make them into a scandal because Joe Biden is president. “Don’t give in to this hate,” Geller continued in the report. “Don’t give in to this treating people like they’re not human beings. They are—they’re our brothers and sisters. Treat them decently. Treat them with respect.”
But Republicans have no respect for vulnerable children, with Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby, a U.K.-born lawmaker, comparing asylum-seekers to invaders. That rhetoric has been used by racist mass murdered in Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Zealand.
“For public safety, we cannot allow people to be dropped off in Florida and invade the state illegally and then expect we, the taxpayers of the state, to take care of them,” Barnaby claimed.
Democratic lawmakers noted state taxpayers are already paying for Texas’ anti-immigrant agenda because law enforcement officers have gone to the state to aid in Greg Abbott’s unconstitutional and discriminatory Operation Lone Star scheme. But perhaps Republicans are fine with wasting tax dollars—so long as immigrants are suffering in the process.
But at the center of Ron DeSantis’ presidential politicking are real children and other vulnerable people who will be harmed by SB 1808.
“It will risk the safety of children and others seeking refuge in the United States, jeopardize our agriculture industry and state economy, and intensify the discrimination that immigrant communities too often endure,” Agriculture and Consumer Services commissioner and DeSantis challenger Nikki Fried told Florida Phoenix. American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Kara Gross said SB 1808 also risks Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, immigrants waiting for green cards, “and U.S. citizens who a common carrier mistakenly assumes may not be lawfully present in the United States,” the report continued.
Ron DeSantis has shown no signs of backing down from his support for this despicable plan, even after vocal opposition from faith leaders in the state. Nor does DeSantis appear to be back down from another anti-child bill, the bigoted Don’t Say Gay legislation.
“SB1808 passed the FL House & Senate & is on its way to @govrondesantis' desk, but we will continue to challenge this legislation & related budget items, if signed into law, we will stand with Florida families and legal organizations to stop the chaos this bill will create,” tweeted the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
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