Supporting Dreamers is crucial for Florida’s economic future
We don’t often think of undocumented immigrants as integral to technological innovation, but it’s true in Miami. Dreamers play an important role in the city’s growing tech hub. Take Jorge Cortes, a serial entrepreneur and social innovator, who was brought to this country from Colombia at age 15. His current company, UnifyIT, helps entrepreneurs grow their companies and create jobs for Floridians. To date, Cortes has helped grow several early-stage companies that have gone on to employ dozens of people and generate millions in revenue.
Cortes is one of nearly 70,000 Floridian Dreamers who grew up here, graduated from local schools and are now pursuing professional careers. Florida Dreamers pay $290 million in taxes annually and hold $1.1 billion in household income. And yet, their future in the U.S. is uncertain. Dreamers do not have permanent legal status here, and the temporary protections they are eligible for could be taken away by the next anti-immigrant administration. In fact, a federal judge in Texas could soon deliver that final blow. If Dreamers are deported, that would be terrible for Florida. It’s also not what Americans want. According to Pew Research, 74% of Americans — including more than half of Republicans — believe Dreamers deserve permanent legal status.
Luckily, Congress is taking up the cause. The House of Representatives recently passed the Dream and Promise Act, which would give Dreamers a path to citizenship. On behalf of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I applaud this move. And I’m urging our senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, to vote yes when the bill arrives in the Senate. Giving Dreamers true security isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s crucial for Florida’s future.
As president and CEO of the FSHCC, I see the contributions that Dreamers make daily. Roughly 4,400 are Floridian entrepreneurs, according to New American Economy. They are creating jobs and providing much-needed services. They have also been on the front lines during the pandemic; 62,000 Dreamers work in healthcare nationwide. That’s especially crucial in light of Florida’s ongoing nurse shortage.
Protecting Dreamers helps protect and serve Floridians, but it’s also the right thing to do. Most of our Dreamers arrived here from Central and South America as children. They grew up in this country and strongly identify as American. That’s understandable, since we have long invested in their education and advancement. Even so, we keep them in limbo; we say we value their contributions, but we give them no long-term security. Imagine going to work every day, never knowing if the government will try to get rid of you tomorrow. That’s not fair to these hard-working young people and it’s not fair to the American companies that employ them.
Lawmakers haven’t made significant changes to our immigration system in over 30 years. But right now, on this particular issue, there is finally momentum. I’ve spent over two decades advocating for our state’s Hispanic community. Our businesses contribute more than $90 billion to the local economy each year. Legalizing Dreamers will grow that contribution substantially. These young people are American in every way except on paper. They deserve to be here; we want them to be here. If our senators are truly committed to Hispanic advancement in Florida and nationwide, I’m sure they’ll agree.