FCCB Opposes Bill Prohibiting Refugee Assistance

HB 1095 (Ray), which prohibits the state and persons receiving state funds from assisting certain refugees and immigrants with entry or resettlement in Florida, was passed ( 9-6) by its final House committee, State Affairs, on Thursday. FCCB staff indicated opposition to the bill during the committee meeting and a letter to the bill sponsor from FCCB executive director Michael Sheedy cited concerns with the proposal.

Provisions of HB 1095:
conflict with federal law;
disregard the fundamental right of interstate travel by attempting to exclude a particular group from entering our state;
fail to recognize the specific term "refugee" refers to a narrow group of the most rigorously vetted migrants seeking U.S. entry; and
require Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct duplicative screenings, submitting reports to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is already involved in the screening and entry approval of refugees prior to arrival.
The Senate companion, SB 1712 (Simpson), has seen no movement this session.