Florida Legislature Passes SB1718, Anti-Immigrant Legislation
A Look At What’s In SB 1718, Florida’s Sweeping Anti-Immigrant Law

(904) COURT-1-A
1-904-268-7812

Immigration and Nationality Lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida

(904) 268-7812

Immigration and Nationality Lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida

(904) 268-7812

Immigration and Nationality Lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida

Susan Pai is admitted to the Washington State Bar, not the Florida Bar Attorney Pai's Florida legal practice is limited exclusively to Immigration & Nationality law

Susan Pai is admitted to the Washington State Bar, not the Florida Bar Attorney Pai's Florida legal practice is limited exclusively to Immigration & Nationality law

Susan Pai is admitted to the Washington State Bar, not the Florida Bar Attorney Pai's Florida legal practice is limited exclusively to Immigration & Nationality law

Two Little Words That Can End Suffering and Restore a Little Sanity to the System in 2014

NOTE: This article is also published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-pai/two-little-words_b_4966023.html

The sound of the circular firing squad is getting louder as two different strategies are creating a rift in the pro immigration reform movement. There’s a victory in the battle to demolish the deportation machine but some of our guns are aimed in the wrong direction and somewhere, anti-reformers like Rep. Steve Kingand Phyllis Schlafly must be laughing their heads off.

Both factions fighting for immigration agree that the deportation system is cruel, illogical and needs to changed.

On one side we have groups like La Raza firing away at President Obama: Calling him the Deporter in Chief and trying to put pressure on him to do what he can’t do. On the other side, there’s a fight we can win, with grassroots groups likeTNTweeters and Univision’s Fernando Espeulas calling for the use of a discharge petition to push a floor vote in the House.

The groups taking potshots at Obama may possibly have their hearts in the right place but they are fighting a futile battle and diverting attention and resources from the real war in Congress. They’re losing sight of the big picture ofComprehensive Immigration Reform and focusing on deportations but the irony is they will not be able to win in this way.

Attacking President Obama and claiming he can use executive orders to stop deportations is worse than counterproductive. It’s misdirection from the real issue that is powering the deportation machine: the costly and draconian Congressional Bed Mandate. That mandate — which is not an option, but a mandatory budget spend using appropriation tools generally reserved for entitlements such as Veteran’s benefits and retirement pay — requires the government maintain 34,000 beds for immigrant detainees at all times at a cost of five million dollars a day.

Fixing the Bed Mandate takes two little words and Congress. The words are “up to.” Right now the law says “not less than” 34,000 people need to be incarcerated every day. By changing this to “up to 34,000” ICE and President Obama will have the flexibility they need make real change.

It won’t happen without Congress but there’s good news there: Virtually every politician in the House is up for re-election this year. That means that pressure can be brought to bear. With so many in reform movement turning up the heat on President Obama, they ignore the political reality that he is never going to be up for election again.

Ironically, by focusing on the President, groups like La Raza actually risk turning up pressure coming from the Tea Party wing that’s obstructing reform.

The Tea Party is already going ballistic over the use of executive orders. Pushing Obama for an executive order plays into their worst fears and will lead to more ignorant rhetoric about Obama pushing for amnesty and harsher calls for enforcement. The Tea Party knows there’s an election coming up, too.

What’s needed now is focus. Put down the Deporter In Chief signs. Push for the discharge petition and then keep going. Let everyone running for the House know that a united immigration reform movement is watching and will hold them accountable.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Green Cards

Citizenship

Immigration Article Library
On Key

Related Posts

What is an L-1 Visa? An Overview

An L-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa category that allows multinational companies to transfer certain employees from their foreign offices to their U.S. offices. It is designed to facilitate the temporary transfer of employees who possess specialized knowledge or executive/managerial skills within the company. There are two main types of L-1 visas: To qualify for

Bridging the Distance: K-1 or Fiancé(e) Visa Services in Jacksonville, FL

A fiancé visa application is a type of visa application that allows a foreign national to enter another country for the purpose of marrying a citizen or permanent resident of that country. It is also commonly known as a “K-1 visa” in the United States, as it falls under the K category of nonimmigrant visas.

Florida’s SB 1718 Anti-Immigrant Law Includes Plenty of Penalties Against Employers Who Hire Lawfully-Present Foreign Nationals Who Are Waiting on Their Employment Authorization Document

Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis uses the terms “unauthorized” and “illegal” interchangeably when speaking. These are two very different legal terms. The new anti-immigrant law just signed into law by Governor DeSantis, SB1718, affects those who came here illegally, those who came here legally but overstayed their visa and those who are here legally but not authorized to work.

Scroll to Top