Community | October 20, 2010 | 8 comments

Florida Immigration Bill Allows Police to Skip Over Canadians, Europeans

source: http://washingtonindependent.com/101195/florida-immigration-bill-allows-police-to-skip-over-...

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Via Change.org, some interesting information about a proposed Arizona-style immigration bill in Florida: The bill includes a provision allowing Canadians and Western Europeans to be “presumed to be legally in the United States,” even though other non-citizens must carry papers. Florida’s bill, which was drafted by Rep. William Snyder (R), has support from Rick Scott, the Republican candidate for governor. Although proponents of the legislation argue it would not lead to racial profiling, the provision on Canadians and Western Europeans — most of whom are white non-Latinos — brings up new concerns for Latino groups. (The Miami New Times, which originally pointed out the provision, has a full copy of the draft bill.)

Latino and immigrant rights groups have fervently opposed the bill, which would mimic Arizona’s SB 1070 by requiring police to check legal status on anyone they “reasonable suspicions” of being in the country illegally if the police have already stopped them. The provision would allow them to assume legal status if the person had a Canadian passport or a “passport from any ‘visa waiver country’” — which are primarily located in Western Europe. “That language makes it clear that police are targeting only a specific minority,” Susana Barciela, policy director at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, told the Miami New Times.

Snyder said the language was meant to avoid deterring tourism from Canada. “What we’re doing there is trying to be sensitive to Canadians,” he said in a radio interview. “We have an enormous amount of … Canadians wintering here in Florida. … That language is comfort language.”

The bill has caused some tension between Florida politicians, particularly the three Latino Republican members of Congress from Miami who oppose the anti-immigration legislation. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen tepidly endorsed Scott for governor earlier this month despite his support for the bill.
  1. groups:
    Community,   WTF,   US Politics,   Indigenous,   2 more
  2. tags:
    Racism,  Mexico,  Florida,  Hispanic,  2 more
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8 comments // Florida Immigration Bill Allows Police to Skip Over Canadians, Europeans

  • mitekillem
  • ras_menelik
  • CalgarC
  • BKsaysAction
  • timetide
    • +1
      timetide  

    • Nope, not racist at all. silly people, didn't you know that every possible instance of racsim is just us damn "liberals" race baiting.

    • 1 year ago
  • bailey78
  • H3ADLINE
    • +5
      H3ADLINE  

    • I await the day when conservatives give up the evil of racism for their true love affair with corporate control. At least then the struggle for freedom will be clearly focused on the important issues. Although, to be fair, it's much easier for the billionaires of the world to conquer us when we're divided by "race." You guys are being played like fiddle, and while you're busy defending the riches of a handful of people over hysterical racial fantasies, everything we've built as a people will have been sold off and destroyed by the robber barons. You'll take the country back, alright. Back to the empire of Rome. I wonder how that turned out. Oh well, no time to read that. Beck is on. I need to get my chalkboard of distraction out.

    • 1 year ago
  • postlapsaria
    • +4
      postlapsaria  

    • i don't even want to waste my time commenting because this clearly stupid. no one but racists and scared old white people would think this bill is kosher...

      but what, brown people don't tourist? Middle easterners bring lots of money on vacation, they book good hotels, they fly and buy up keep sakes, they try to milk they're american vacation. canadians don't, they drive, they come to the states often so they don't drop anymore money than they need to spend, also, they are terrible tippers and guests, they spend less money because of the dollar conversion. lots of wealthy latino people would visit, especially family they may have in florida.

      so shut up with the trying to protect tourism. come up with another ridiculous excuse you can blame your racist ignorance on.

    • 1 year ago
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