They put on alert immigrants about traveling to the Sunshine State
The state of Florida saw the largest increase in immigrant arrests last year, while Texas had the highest net figures that year, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center based on data from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The immigration police arrested 6,192 people in Florida in 2017, an increase of 76 percent compared to 2016. The immigrant population of the United States, including legal and undocumented residents, reached a record of 43.7 million in 2016, according to a report presented by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). In comparison, in 1980, one out of every 16 resident networks was an immigrant, while the figure is currently one in eight, says the report presented by CIS analysts Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler.
A Jamaican lady in January, who stayed in the United States for longer than her visa permitted, was arrested on a Greyhound bus in Miami and taken to an immigration jail. To a man from Trinidad and Tobago, the same thing happened to him. The citizen has had lived in Miami for a decade and is the owner of a business, but he could not show that he is legally in the country when being interrogated by immigration police on a bus. Last month, 17 Florida law enforcement agencies agreed to work with immigration authorities to hold undocumented immigrants in local jails for delivery to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
These facts make Florida an unsafe state for immigrants and this was stated by a coalition of activist organizations that has issued a travel warning for the Sunshine State. These types of travel warnings are usually issued by natural disasters, by the State Department to countries in political crisis or by other circumstances that endanger the safety of travelers. The message of these organizations is clear and precise: avoid traveling to Florida or even within the state. If they have to, avoid high-risk areas.
This was expressed in the statement sent by the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC). According to the statement, immigrants in Florida feel more threatened than ever, and attacks at the national level are amplified by local anti-immigrant policies and companies that refuse to protect their clients. Therefore, all immigrants are encouraged to reconsider their visit to Florida and especially are advised to avoid high risk areas such as ports, airports and Greyhound stations. Under federal law, immigration and border protection officers have the authority to board ships in United States territorial waters and enter any vehicle, bus or train within 100 miles of the territorial and maritime border. Due to the geography of Florida, the entire state is considered a border area.
The activists said that a boycott is not recommended at this time, but people visiting Florida are asked to use discretion, understand their risks and seek legal advice.
The warning comes after an analysis by the Pew Research Center indicated that Florida was the state with the largest increase in undocumented immigrant arrests in the last year.
