DESANTIS’ IMMIGRATION VISION IS CRUEL AND DANGEROUS
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s border speech this week made white nationalist “invasion” rhetoric the centerpiece of his campaign’s immigration rollout, as also noted by Julio Ricardo Varela at MSNBC, Boston Globe columnist Marcela García, and Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent. “It is hard to overstate the dangerous implications of Ron DeSantis’ approach to immigration,” America’s Voice Political Director Zachary Mueller said. “From ‘invasion’ to ‘deadly force’ to ‘stone cold dead’ to ‘act of war’ to ‘a duty to protect the country,’ he is relying on and mainstreaming a collection of phrases and ideas that are flat-out incitements to violence and have been linked to domestic terror attacks by white nationalists.” Read more from the Political Team.
FALSE WHITE NATIONALIST RHETORIC HAS A MOUNTING BODY COUNT
DeSantis’ immigration plans won’t advance “any real solutions for our broken immigration system,” America’s Voice Campaign Director Mario Carrillo said in a statement also reported by the Common Dreams outlet. “Instead, they are all just ugly and unworkable anti-immigrant red meat to keep the MAGA base inflamed and all ‘justified’ by advancing false and dangerous white nationalist rhetoric that has a mounting body count, including in Texas.” DeSantis’ speech comes as the anniversary of the white supremacist terror attack that left 23 dead at an El Paso Walmart approaches next month. Read more from the Campaign Team here.
FIRST “MINI CÁPSULAS INFORMATIVA” FROM AVES FOCUSES ON FLORIDA
America’s Voice en Español Director Maribel Hastings and Spanish-language Advisor David Torres similarly covered DeSantis’ immigration plan in their weekly column. DeSantis’ speech, the humanitarian and economic consequences that his anti-immigrant S.B. 1718 law is already having in Florida even before its July 1 implementation date, and the national support for the undocumented through the “We Are All Florida” caravan were addressed in a new AVES section of news videos in collaboration with consultant Clara Trullenque. Watch and share the first episode of Mini Cápsulas Informativas de America’s Voice en Español.
REMEMBER IMMIGRANT ESSENTIAL WORKERS THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Americans all across the nation will be celebrating our country’s independence this July 4 by attending parades, watching fireworks, and gathering around picnic tables to enjoy delicious summer food. It should also be a time for remembering the contributions made by farmworkers, many of whom lack a way to ever be citizens because they are undocumented. The hard work of these essential workers helps make our very American celebrations and gatherings possible, because chances are the meals many of us will be enjoying will have passed through their hands first. Read more from Editor Gabe Ortíz.
TEN YEARS — AND COUNTING — OF GOP INACTION ON IMMIGRATION
This week marked ten years since the Senate’s historic passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would’ve put millions of undocumented immigrants on a pathway to legal status and eventual citizenship. But even though there was enough support to also pass it in the House, GOP leadership refused to act on it. As the America’s Voice Digital Team shows in a new graphic, then-Speaker John Boehner’s refusal to bring up S. 744 marked the beginning of a decade — and counting — of most Congressional Republicans refusing to join in on workable proposals to address our nation’s broken immigration system.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
The “We Are All Florida” caravan traveling from California to Florida in support of immigrant workers kicked off this week. DeSantis’ S.B. 1718 “is not fair to those who do the hardest jobs – farm work, construction – or the people who put the food on our table,” one advocate told Border Report. Travelers were in El Paso on Tuesday and hope to arrive in Tallahassee by July 1, the law’s implementation date. During a rally in California, CHIRLA Executive Director Angélica Salas called S.B. 1718 “hate unleashed,” adding that immigrants are “contributing and working so that Florida moves forward.” Read more from Border Report.
Not a subscriber to our weekly immigration policy and politics updates? You can sign up right here.
