14 FEB 2022
Opposition Grows Against Gov. DeSantis’s Executive Order and Political Stunts As Republican Candidates Ramp Up Anti-Immigrant Attacks
WASHINGTON, DC - Following his September 2021 executive order barring service providers and businesses in Florida from sheltering, transporting, and caring for unaccompanied migrant children as they are reunified with their families, Governor Ron DeSantis has doubled down with political stunts and attacks. Last week, the governor held a roundtable where he made false claims about President Biden’s efforts to reunify unaccompanied migrant children, going as far as to demean the children.
In response, there has been a groundswell of opposition from faith, business, community and political leaders:
Archbishop Wenski: “[N]o child should be deemed disgusting, especially by a public servant.” On Thursday, February 10, Archbishop Thomas Wenski joined former Miami Dade College president Eduardo Padrón and business leader, Tony Argiz - who came to the U.S. through Operation Pedro Pan when he was nine - in a press conference with several community leaders from the American Business Immigration Coalition, IMPAC Fund, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Venezuelan American Alliance. Leaders in the press conference called on Gov. DeSantis to revoke his executive order and stop efforts by Republican state legislators from moving forward a bill that would further punish businesses and service providers for transporting and helping process immigrant children and families. See the full press conference.
Democratic Candidate for Governor, Annette Taddeo: “I’m not a Pedro Pan, but I fled terrorism alone at 17. Today those Pedro Pan kids are an example of why immigrant children should never be used as political pawns for a governor more concerned about voters [in] Iowa than Floridians.”
Democratic Candidate for Governor, Charlie Crist: “Immigrant children & families finding refuge in our great state should never be called a ‘human-smuggling operation’. That's disgusting. Every human being deserves respect, and the lack of it from Gov. DeSantis is frankly despicable.”
Democratic Candidate for Governor, Nikki Fried: “It’s time for @GovRonDeSantis to grow a heart. Or a brain — immigrants are critical to the short and long term success of our state.”
Former Florida Congresswoman, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell: “The measure of our humanity is shown by how we treat our children. Thank you Archbishop Wenski for reminding @GovRonDeSantis that all children are God's children. We must always work together to put their safety and well-being first.”
Republicans Are Back with Anti-Immigrant Ads: The latest political ploy by Governor DeSantis follows a growing movement by Republican candidates across battleground states and congressional districts to weaponize the issue of immigration. In Texas, Governor Abott has increased his advertising spending, deploying ads blaming President Biden for a “border crisis” that doesn’t exist. Meanwhile, in Arizona, GOP Senate candidate, Jim Lamon, callously dropped a television ad featuring the president of the Border Patrol Union shooting at President Biden. In Ohio, Matt Dolan, seeking to grab the Republican Senate nomination, launched a massive ad blitz with a new ad taking aim at the U.S. president over border security.
From Pennsylvania and Georgia to Nebraska and Arizona, several Republican candidates have launched countless ads and digital content, using anti-immigrant and false claims about immigrants and President Biden’s immigration policies. In a midterm election expected to be one of the most expensive, Democrats and voters should expect a deluge of anti-immigrant ads, stump speeches and online content.
###
The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.