Black & Latino leaders oppose Juan Crow immigration bill in Florida Legislature

From [HERE] A group of Latino leaders from Central Florida traveled to Tallahassee on Monday to oppose an Arizona-style immigration bill being considered by the Legislature. The Central Florida group joined about 400 Latino and African-American leaders from across Florida for a march in front of the Capitol. A group of Latino children led the group in prayer and sang the national anthem in front of the building.

"We split into groups and knocked on the door of every state senator to explain our position," said Yanidsi Velez, Central Florida regional coordinator of Democracia, a non-partisan Latino advocacy group that organized the effort. "This is bad for Florida, a state that depends so much on tourism."

Senate Bill 2040 would require police to check the immigration status of any person arrested on a misdemeanor or felony charge, including traffic offenses. Police would be required to hold undocumented suspects and turn them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Velez said some of the 27 people from the local group met with the bill's author, Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami. Flores has maintained that the bill is necessary because the federal government has failed to act on immigration reform.

But critics of the bill contend that it will spark racial profiling and will increase the unfair detention of foreign-born individuals, whether they are residents or visitors. Velez added that it will make it hard for undocumented residents to come forward with information if they have either witnessed or been the victims of a crime because they'll fear that police will inquire about their legal status, too.

The Central Florida group joined about 400 Latino and African-American leaders from across Florida for a march in front of the Capitol. A group of Latino children led the group in prayer and sang the national anthem in front of the building.

Orlando resident Jose Bosque was among those who made the trip. He said that although he is Puerto Rican and thus an American citizen, he's concerned about the impact the bill could have on him and others from the island if it passes.

"The intent here is to single out a specific ethnic group," Bosque said. "Dark-skinned people beware. We would be the target of racial profiling because many people don't even know we are American citizens."

Flores' bill is less stringent than the House version, which would require police to check the immigration status of a person who is the subject of a criminal investigation if there is "reasonable suspicion" that the person might be undocumented.