Leading Palm Beach County Religious & Civic Organizations
Urge Florida House to Reject Arizona Copy-Cat Immigration Bill
Boca Raton, Florida (April 26, 2011). Denouncing a harsh Arizona copy-cat immigration bill as engendering fear and encouraging discrimination, Florida Voices for Immigration Reform (FVIR) today urged the Florida House of Representatives to reject House Bills 7089. FVIR is a coalition composed of leading religious, civic and non-profit organizations from Palm Beach County.
Similar to the severe Arizona immigration law passed last year, HB 7089 would broadly require local law enforcement to check the immigration status of persons who officers reasonably believe are undocumented, and it would authorize local law enforcement to execute warrantless arrests of persons suspected of being undocumented. The bill also would criminalize an undocumented person's mere presence in Florida - punishable by up to 20 days in jail. And it would require virtually all Florida employers to use the flawed and often inaccurate e-verify system to check employment eligibility of workers.
“We live in Florida and not in Arizona,” said Pastor Mark D. Boykin, an FVIR member, “Legislators in Florida must realize that a copy-cat law that addresses some issues in Arizona does not necessarily addresses immigration issues in Florida. We have a more complex immigration situation than that of Arizona,” ended Pastor Boykin.
"Florida can do better," said Gary Walk, Chairman of FVIR. "As a nation of immigrants, we must endeavor to embrace the diverse groups that make ours the most enviable and pluralistic democracy in the world. By engendering fear, encouraging discrimination and fanning the flames of intolerance, HB 7089 only serves to divide rather than unite us," said Walk.
"It is ironic that at the same time a U.S. Court of Appeals essentially found key provisions of the Arizona immigration law unconstitutional, the full House is considering an Arizona copy-cat law," said David Barkey, ADL Southeast Area Counsel. "House Bill 7089 will negatively impact public safety by undermining community-police partnerships. Undoubtedly this measure will heighten fears of immigration scrutiny within immigrant communities, which will likely deter crime victims or witnesses from approaching local law enforcement. As a nation of immigrants, we must strive to promote a national comprehensive immigration law with fairness, compassion, and effective enforcement. Ill-conceived state laws like House Bill 7089 are not the answer," said Barkey.
FVIR's members include - American Jewish Committee Palm Beach County Chapter, the Anti-Defamation League, Catalyst for Justice, Catholic Charities, Church of All Nations, C.R.O.S. Ministries, End Times Harvest International Ministries, Hispanic Resource Council, Palm Beach County Latin American Evangelicals Pastors Association, Honorary Consul of Guatemala in Palm Beach County, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Palm Beach County Chapter, Jesus Redentor de Vida, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, L'Dor Va-Dor Synagogue, New Africa of the Palm Beaches, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Temple Israel, World Trade Center Palm Beach County and Western Union.
The coalition's mission is to secure comprehensive immigration reform, striking a balance among the security and the economic needs of our nation and basic human rights to support a path for millions of undocumented immigrants and their children to achieve legal residency in the United States.
