Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
State paying for Rubio’s and DeSantis’ dangerous immigration policies
My family and I left Haiti for Florida when I was 14. In the years since, we successfully built a life for ourselves because we have been welcomed — not just by fellow Haitians, but by state and local leaders who recognized the valuable contributions immigrants make to Florida’s economy and culture. Our state, in particular our state’s economy, relies on Haitian immigrants, who are overwhelmingly represented in critical industries including health care and tourism. Haitians form the bedrock of Florida’s immigrant community.
That’s why it’s so disheartening to see so-called leaders like
Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis abandon us at such a pivotal moment. In late September, DeSantis issued a new executive order that will put immigrant communities across Florida in danger.
The governor’s new edict encourages police officers to pull over any driver they suspect of transporting migrants into the state, prompting immediate fears that the new policy will lead to discrimination and harassment. How an officer would distinguish between a family heading to Disney World and a potential lawbreaker wasn’t a concern for the governor, who has decided to use the recent crisis at the border to score cheap political points.
DeSantis hasn’t tried to hide what prompted this new policy. It’s no coincidence that he’s cracking down on immigrants when families who fled violence and danger in Haiti are arriving in Florida. And it’s shameful that Haitians are being subjected to policies DeSantis and his fellow Republicans would never dream of inflicting on other groups of immigrants. As many have pointed out, the governor’s new policy is more about fear mongering to chase votes than keeping Florida safe.
Rubio has followed the governor’s lead, proving once again that he is too weak to stand up to his party when its leaders attack immigrants. He has stood silently as DeSantis’ executive order drew criticism from across the state. Even when DeSantis barred state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities — something Rubio has criticized in the past — he had nothing to say. Instead of standing up to help Haitians in need, using his office to coordinate with community groups, or working with the Biden administration, Rubio is standing on the sidelines launching political attacks. He’s spent more time talking to Fox News hosts about the border recently than talking with Haitian families in Florida.
Sadly, this isn’t new for Rubio. Our senator has always lacked the political courage to create real change in our immigration system. From abandoning a bipartisan immigration reform plan he originally supported to opposing a path to citizenship, Rubio has never had the backbone to deliver the change we need, and communities like mine have paid the price.
Rubio and DeSantis have made it clear that they would rather use Haitian migrants as political props than stand with our community. Fortunately, we have the power to elect leaders who will. If Rubio and DeSantis think that demonizing Haitians will help them win reelection, Floridians will send a clear message at the ballot box and show them just how wrong they are.