Change policies to equally integrate Puerto Ricans, others in Florida
We are a country divided, as the expression goes. So, it goes without saying that the politics of gender and race have a natural way of polarizing the public. However, we now find that another topic parts the crowd into “for” and “against”: immigration.
The Trump administration and federal government have created a systematic approach to removing, detaining and refusing entry to immigrants into the United States. The primary purpose of these policies is to physically segregate and isolate immigrants from our society. However, the secondary purpose is to economically segregate and isolate immigrants insofar as preventing equal access to fundamental resources, such as employment, housing, legal assistance, education and health care. Without access to the fundamental resources, the immigrant population is unable, and has been unable, to afford the same opportunities to succeed as professionals, entrepreneurs and even political leaders.
Our federal government has succeeded in creating an “underclass” consisting mostly of immigrants.
The “underclass” has found its way to the state of Florida.
While many states have chosen not to embrace some of the anti-immigrant policies, Florida has, unfortunately, espoused some of its practices. For example, under federal law, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can delegate to local law enforcement their ability to arrest and detain criminal immigrants. Basically, both local police and ICE officers can have the same power to arrest and detain criminal immigrants.
To date, the law-enforcement agencies in Jacksonville and the counties of Clay, Collier, Hernando, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, Lake and Pasco have signed memorandum agreements with ICE to allow local police to act with the same authority as ICE officers. This recent development has prevented much of the immigrant population from reporting crimes and domestic violence, and seeking relief through the court system because of fear of detention and deportation.
Upon careful analysis, it seems that the federal government would rather have in place one law-enforcement entity, a hybrid of ICE and local police, so as to accomplish two tasks in one effort: arrest and detain criminal U.S. citizens and criminal immigrants.
Apart from the ICE-police, Florida has struggled to accommodate the recent influx of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria. Although not “immigrants,” as Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans as “migrants” have suffered similarly in the way of their lack of access to resources. Despite Florida’s best attempts, it has been difficult to integrate much of the population with housing, schooling and employment. The recent federal housing assistance ended in September. Fortunately, as a remedial measure, the University of Central Florida will provide in-state tuition to Puerto Ricans who have migrated due to Hurricane Maria through 2023.
Yet Florida has become what the United Nations calls a failed integration system. We have failed to meaningfully integrate all types of migrants into our community because we are not giving them the same opportunities to be equal. Therefore, changes in policies to integrate this portion of the population are necessary in order to improve the social climate of Florida.
Like UCF’s new in-state tuition program for Puerto Ricans, Florida can fill in the gaps where the federal government has failed. Policies at the state and local levels can remedy much of the damage that current federal law is causing on our economy and community.
For example, proposed policies on the state and local levels could focus on creating comprehensive programs for access to resources. The state and local governments should collaborate with each country’s consulate, the chambers of commerce, and international trade and business associations. These alliances can create a network of providers of employment opportunities, schooling, medical accommodations and day care.
Hopefully, migrants would be afforded more opportunities to assume positions of leadership as entrepreneurs, professionals and members in public office. Diverse leadership would influence future policy on migratory interests. Therefore, diversity of leadership and business would influence trade relations. If Florida becomes a state of diverse leadership, then outside countries would sooner find it economically feasible, and even wise, to bring foreign investment to Florida.
Florida is unlike most states as it has a very dense population, with open borders, and a variety of people from different countries. An intact system to ameliorate the segregation of migrants and immigrants could serve as a model to similarly situated states. Ultimately, Florida could veer away from this administration’s politics of isolationism by successfully integrating migrants. Florida could change the nation if it is willing to accept change.