HB 1589 (Plakon) would establish criminal penalties for unlicensed driving. FCCB's executive director, Michael Sheedy, sent a letter to the sponsor, outlining a few points of concern with the bill. "It must be noted that a significant number of Florida's residents have no path to a driver's license," wrote Michael.
Senator Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) is the sponsor of several bills pertaining to immigration this session. Among them, SB 1174 further restricts community identification cards to preclude local governments from not only issuing them or funding them, but also from accepting them. SB 1324 would establish criminal penalties for unlicensed driving. SM 598 is a memorial bill which urges the federal government to secure the southern border of the United States and reform our broken immigration system.
On Friday, the Senate took up SB 1718 (Ingoglia) and passed the bill by a 27-10 vote. Earlier in the week, FCCB's Christie Arnold, associate for social concerns and respect life, testified in opposition to SB 1718 before the Fiscal Policy Committee, which amended and advanced the bill on a 14-6 vote.
These bills unfairly target the immigrant community in Florida as well as those who devote themselves to assisting them. Criminalizing the mere transport of undocumented people within Florida will have far-reaching negative consequences in the business and church communities.
Reports of Florida involvement in transporting migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard are disconcerting. Any action to transport persons under false pretenses and leave them stranded with no assistance, if this proves to be the case, fails to respect their human dignity and objectifies them.
On March 9, a bill providing for immigration enforcement within the state of Florida achieved final passage by the Florida Legislature. In response, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement:
These FCCB opposed bills would prohibit commercial airlines and busing companies from transporting unaccompanied migrant children into Florida if they want to enter contracts with the state or local governments.
FCCB opposes HB 1355 (Snyder) and SB 1808 (Bean) that would prohibit commercial airlines and busing companies from transporting unaccompanied migrant children into Florida.
FCCB opposes HB 1355 (Snyder) and SB 1808 (Bean) that would prohibit commercial airlines and busing companies from transporting unaccompanied migrant children into Florida.
The House Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee passed HB 1355 (Snyder) on a 13-5 vote. HB 1355 and its companion SB 1808 (Bean) would hinder the ability of Florida child-caring and child-placing organizations to serve unaccompanied migrant children. Catholic ministries have long cared for these vulnerable children fleeing oppression.
Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, was in Tallahassee this week to visit lawmakers at the Capitol. Routsis-Arroyo joined Christie Arnold, FCCB associate for respect life and social concerns, to speak with lawmakers about the work of Catholic Charities to settle minors who have reached the border unaccompanied by an adult and reunite them with family members already present in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was implemented in 2012. Approximately 700,000 people who were brought to the U.S. as children are DACA recipients. After having paid a fee and submitting to a background check, this status allows them the opportunity to work legally and access educational opportunities without fear of deportation. DACA recipients alone contribute over $42 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Many of them have been working on the frontline of the COVID response in healthcare, transportation, and warehousing industries.
On Friday, March 6, SB 664 (Lee), was taken up on second reading by the full Senate. The bill was amended to require that all private employers use either the Department of Homeland Security E-Verify system or the documents required by Form I-9 to determine work eligibility for all new employees. The amendment also provides that the Department of Economic Opportunity shall conduct audits and investigate complaints of suspected improper employment. Employers would be required to turn over employment documents when requested by state prosecutors or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement without warrant or probable cause.
On February 27, the House Commerce Committee passed (15-8) HB 1265 (Byrd). The bill was amended to require that all public and private employers use either the Department of Homeland Security E-Verify system or the documents required by Form I-9 to determine work eligibility for all new employees. Businesses that choose not to use E-Verify will be precluded from certain state incentives.
On February 18, the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee passed SB 664 (3-2). The bill was amended to require all public and private employers use various forms of verification to determine work eligibility for all new employees.
On February 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a proposal (4-2) that would mandate public and private employers use E-Verify, a federal program that checks legal work eligibility, for all new hires. SB 664 (Lee) was amended prior to passage to exempt agricultural employers.
Rooted in the Gospel and the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching, Catholic principles of migration include: Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland. Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families. Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection. The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected.
On January 17, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) filed an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of James M. Dailey, an inmate on Florida's death row, urging a new trial in his case due to persuasive evidence of actual innocence. The amicus brief explains the Catholic Church's longstanding opposition to the death penalty. The Church teaches that capital punishment violates respect for life and human dignity. The injustice is especially acute in the instance of an innocent person sentenced to death. The amicus brief also argues that the execution of an innocent person violates the Constitution of the United States.
On June 17, President Donald Trump announced impending immigration enforcement actions by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Subsequent press reports on Friday, June 21 indicated that ICE has plans for an enforcement operation in major cities, including Miami, to remove thousands of migrant families with deportation orders.