Immigration crackdown moves in Florida House

[seafan]

Source: Miami Herald

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott’s pledge to bring an Arizona-style immigration law to Florida probably won’t happen, but a House committee voted Thursday to bring him the next best thing.

The new Florida immigration reform plan would require police to check the immigration status of a person who is under arrest or is the subject of a criminal investigation.
That language stops short of Arizona’s controversial law, which requires police to determine a person’s immigration status whenever the officer makes “any lawful contact” with the individual.

To critics, Florida’s proposal will essentially allow for the same type of racial or ethnic profiling that they say is the inevitable product of Arizona’s law.

.....

Lawmakers are under intense pressure to crack down on illegal immigration - an issue that polls well, except among Hispanics, who happened to be a prized voting bloc in the state. Gov. Scott made an Arizona-style immigration law a cornerstone of his primary campaign ....



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/11/2108920/immigration-crackdown-moves-in.html

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[WatsonT]

1. Isn't it standard practice to check people who are already arrested

for prior crimes?

Being here illegally is a crime.

I don't see any problem with that.

[pampango]

2. "House Judiciary Committee where Republicans outnumber Democrats, who cast the lone nay votes..."

"Snyder didn’t have to sell the bill too hard in the House Judiciary Committee, where he’s chairman and where Republicans outnumber Democrats, who cast the lone nay votes in the 12-6 approval.

Subhash Kateel, an advocate from the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said the Senate bill was marginally better than the House proposal, but both are too close to the Arizona law.

“In the end, the problems you see with people who are stopped for driving while black will happen,” Kateel said.

But Bill Landes, activist with Florida Minuteman, said Florida needs to make sure legal residents aren’t losing their jobs to those who aren’t lawfully in the state. “This is real life,” he said. “These are your citizens out here who are doing without work, working constructions working the hotel/motel.”"

"Look over there! An 'other' is getting your job!" Don't pay attention to the repub political bosses who are cutting taxes and benefits leading to more and more inequality.