Immigration Issues
Team Leaders: Ana Valladares, 754.234.2634, anavalladares@yahoo.com; Francois Leconte, Minority Development & Empowerment, Inc., fleconte@mdeinc.org
Mission:
Whether Broward County residents, business partners or visitors, we are enriched by the diversity of our county, including our large immigrant population, mostly South American and Caribbean in origin. This rich cultural exchange also translates into economic benefits: for example, 22% of businesses in Broward are Hispanic-owned.Almost one out of three Broward residents (1.7 million) is foreign-born. Nevertheless, policymakers have been slow to respond to the needs of the immigrant community. Important political gains have been made at the municipal levels of government, but there is more work to be done. The Immigrant Issues team will work with legislators, advocates and business leaders, advocating for policy initiatives and legislation that will improve the quality of life for all members of Broward’s immigrant community and help ensure a bright future for the next generation of Florida’s leaders.
Members:
Sylvia Acevedo, Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc.; Kathy Bird, Florida Immigrant Coalition; Myriam Campo-Goldman, Harmony Development Center; Michael Church, Brazilian Community Center; Darren Covar, Esq., Law Office of Darren P. Covar, P.A.; Alfred Delgado; Mr Urbano, Brazilian Community Center of Broward County; Rev. Ivalier Duvra, Mount-Horres Evangelical Church; Miriam Garcia, Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc.; Yasmin Jacobs, Legal Aid Services of Broward County; Francois Leconte, Minority Development & Empowerment; Jonathan Rodrigues; Maria Rodriguez, Florida Immigrant Coalition; Ana Valladares; Maggie Zalamea, Broward Teachers Union
Issues:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:
• Promote educational attainment and access to college for all, including immigrant students, regardless of status. More than 5,000 undocumented students successfully graduate from high school each year but despite having lived for all or most of their lives in Florida are unfairly charged out of state tuition. Florida should follow the example of 14 other states, which recognize residency by high school graduation, physical residence, and participation in the economy rather than by immigration status.
• Stimulate immigrant businesses with state or municipal credit, workshops on better management, minority-contracting clauses in state contracts, and the encouraging of new immigrant small businesses through economic incentives.
PUBLIC SAFETY & WELL BEING:
• Expand healthcare for all kids. No child should go without seeing a doctor because of immigration or documentation status. At the minimum, lawfully present immigrant children, that are otherwise eligible to participate in the KidCare program, should be allowed to enroll. We should maximize available federal dollars to provide much needed coverage. Providing this coverage is not only the right thing to do, but will save millions in secondary and tertiary care.
• Allow undocumented immigrants to earn a driver’s license and get a state issued ID. More than a million immigrants who are in various processes of documentation should be eligible to earn a driver’s license. This is both a matter of public safety on our roads and stimulating economic development.
COHESIVE COMMUNITIES:
• Integrate immigrant communities through state or local efforts of promoting access to English classes, citizenship application help and access to entrepreneurship and economic development programs. Promotion and support for integration programs build on our assets and expand opportunity, benefiting us all.
• Stop legislation that seeks to criminalize and marginalize law-abiding immigrants. Anti-immigrant bills hurt us all, undermine our community-building efforts, safety and economy. Previously proposed bills come with a $45 billion dollar price tag. These bills are unfunded mandates on law enforcement and a huge economic drain on the state of Florida and local businesses.
Date Submitted: 11-08-11