Koch-backed group seeking Puerto Ricans in Florida

WASHINGTON» A massive influx of Puerto Rico residents displaced by recent hurricanes is transforming communities in Florida and other states, and a conservative group is moving quickly to woo them ahead of the midterm elections.

The Libre Institute, an offshoot of the Libre Initiative, a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, is launching new outreach programs this week in the Orlando area designed to provide English-language courses and civics lessons to thousands of Puerto Ricans living at least temporarily in central Florida as the island continues rebuilding after deadly hurricanes Irma and Maria last fall.

Full power has not yet been restored on the island, and Florida officials say more than 300,000 people have at least passed through the Sunshine State from Puerto Rico in pursuit of new opportunities or temporary shelter. Thousands of young island residents have been enrolled in Florida schools while their parents seek work and housing.

Residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens who can participate in presidential primaries but cannot cast a vote for president — unless they move to the mainland and register to vote. With hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans leaving the island, they are poised to transform several communities in Florida and bolster fledgling island communities in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, while adding to their alreadylarge numbers in New Jersey, New York and parts of New England. The ongoing churn has the potential to transform the political dynamic before November’s midterms, especially in down-ballot races, in which even a few hundred new voters could make a difference.

The Libre Institute’s “Welcome to Florida” classes will launch this week at the group’s offices in the Orlando area, part of an initial $100,000 commitment by the group that is set to grow in the coming weeks as the program expands to centers in Miami and Tampa, two other parts of the state attracting Puerto Ricans.

The group is relying on partners such as Florida Hospital Orlando, Spanishlanguage radio stations and a network of churches across the region to help spread the word about the classes. State officials greeting Puerto Ricans arriving at airports in the state also are referring them to Libre for assistance, according to David Velasquez, deputy state director for Florida for the Libre Initiative, a sister group focused on political advocacy that is overseeing the courses.

“We’re talking to a lot of people who’ve lost everything,” he said.

As it has elsewhere since at least 2012, the group is offering English-language classes, courses on how to update professional licenses, and civics courses designed to highlight the group’s focus on economic empowerment. What the classes will not include are direct appeals to vote for certain candidates or causes, because the institute is a nonprofit barred from direct political activity.