2 days ago
Trump's travel ban hits Florida's diaspora communities
Good morning and happy Friday.
Multiple Florida communities are in the crosshairs of President DONALD TRUMP's travel ban.
The White House announced Wednesday night that Haitians would face a total ban from coming into the U.S., and that Venezuelans and Cubans would be blocked from permanently immigrating here or from applying for tourist or student visas.
Though they were among 19 countries that got blacklisted, the decision on those three nations is expected to hit a large swath of Florida's diaspora communities when it goes into effect June 9.
'Once this broke, my phone did not stop ringing with people worrying: 'Can I go to Haiti to try and help my family? Would I be able to come back in? What are the exceptions? Are there exceptions? What about my visa, my green card?'' Rep. SHEILA CHERFILUS MCCORMICK, the first Democrat of Haitian descent to be elected to Congress, told Playbook in an interview.
In his proclamation, Trump said he was creating the bans to protect the U.S. from terrorism and crime, and it won't affect permanent residents or visa holders. But Cherfilius McCormick took issue with the criteria used, noting that Haitians haven't had a history of violence toward the U.S. but instead are being terrorized at home.
'It is more of a national security issue, or economic issue, for us to kick Haitians out, to deny visas to Haitians people when they come into this country with work visas, and they're actually producing and filling in the gaps where we don't have Americans working,' she said.
The proclamation comes amid immigration raids across Florida, and as the Trump administration has tried to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians. The actions have put some Republican members of Congress in a difficult spot — especially those from the Miami area of Cuban descent — as Democrats accuse them of failing to stand up for immigrant communities who are concerned about the safety of their loved ones.
Rep. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, co-chair of the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, vowed to 'fight' and warned that the ban would 'only bring undeserved hardship to South Florida families whose loved ones face violence, persecution and poverty.'
Asked about the ban, Republican Rep. CARLOS GIMÉNEZ blamed the regimes in Cuba and Venezuela, who he said couldn't be trusted to vet travelers. 'These regimes not only despise the United States, but they have actively worked to undermine our national security through espionage, cyberattacks, and other threats,' he said, adding that the policy would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Echoing that position was Republican ERNESTO ACKERMAN, who runs the advocacy group Independent Venezuelan American Citizens. He added that Trump was merely 'trying to clean up' the immigration policy of the previous administration, though he acknowledged it was difficult for migrants to find a safe place to go.
'They are trying to make it look like Trump is against Venezuelans,' he said. 'But no — this is about the security of the United States. We had a big issue with open borders for four years.'
Ackerman said he trusted members of Congress from Miami, including Giménez and Reps. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR and MARIO DÍAZ BALART, to keep pushing for Trump to offer Deferred Enforcement Departure for individuals as a way to screen people while also making sure those in danger are safe from repressive regimes. The provision, however, can be more easily undone by the president than TPS, which helps people fleeing unrest to work in the U.S.
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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
A PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY — 'The state university system's decision to publicly reject the University of Florida's choice for president was a 'very embarrassing moment,' House Speaker Daniel Perez said Thursday,' POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury reports.
'Perez, who fought to repeal a law shielding university presidential searches from the public eye, contends that his proposal could have prevented UF from having its top and only finalist — the University of Michigan's Santa Ono — roasted and ultimately denied by state officials over his past support of diversity, equity and inclusion.'
STAND BY YOUR MAN — 'The University of Florida defended its maligned presidential search Thursday,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'Acknowledging the stunning decision was 'disappointing,' trustees Chair Mori Hosseini said the university will 'move forward with a strength, purpose and unshakable belief in UF's future.' It's unclear exactly when UF will relaunch another presidential search, or how the process will play out, after the university system Board of Governors publicly roasted the respected academic ahead of denying Ono's bid to run the state's flagship university.'
STILL DIVIDED ON HEALTH CARE JOBS — 'The state House and Senate remained far apart Thursday over how many vacant health and welfare agency positions to cut from next year's Florida budget,' reports POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian.
'The health care budget chairs from both chambers met again to hash out details in the state's proposed $47 billion health and human services budget for next year. Taking note of calls by Trump to decrease federal government spending, the Legislature has sought to find numerous cuts from this year's more-than-$118-billion state budget.'
DEPLEATED WORKFORCE — 'Florida is flush with cash, but its public workforce is running on empty,' reports USA Today Network — Florida's Gray Rohrer. 'The Florida National Guard has been helping staff state prisons for two and a half years. There's a teacher shortage and a nursing shortage. There are 1,800 troopers patrolling a state with 7 million vehicles and more than 140 million tourists per year. …
'Republican legislative leaders, after deadlocking on budget negotiations that threw the session into overtime, are still trying to reach a deal on a final spending plan. The dispute, though, is over how much to permanently cut taxes to restrain spending growth, not over how to pay for pressing needs that have long languished as the state continues to grow.'
UTHMEIER'S BIG STAND — State Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER told podcaster JOSH HAMMER he'd be willing to go to jail over Florida's immigration legislation, A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics reports.
U.S. District Judge KATHLEEN WILLIAMS has been mulling whether to hold Uthmeier in contempt of court after he appeared to flout a court order that put a hold on the law, which makes it illegal for undocumented immigrants to enter Florida. Uthmeier could be facing a fine or jail time.
OSCEOLA SHERIFF CHARGED — 'Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez has been charged with racketeering and suspended from office for involvement in a 'massive' illegal gambling operation spanning Central Florida, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday,' reports Cristóbal Reyes of the Orlando Sentinel. 'DeSantis issued the first official announcement of Lopez's arrest in an executive order which included his suspension from office.'
FREE KILL STILL STANDS — The Florida House won't override DeSantis' veto of the legislature's attempt to repeal the 'free kill' statute, which would've allowed some family members to sue hospitals and physicians for pain and suffering for the deaths of loved ones, Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix reports. Perez said the Legislature would renew their fight next year.
— ''A noble calling': DeSantis signs law shortening firefighter shifts, praises their service,' reports Jodie Wagner of the Palm Beach Daily News.
SPRINGS APPEAL — The Florida Springs Council is appealing a judge's ruling last month backing new state rules intended to protect springs from groundwater overpumping. The group filed a notice Wednesday with the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. Administrative Law Judge GARY EARLY said May 5 that rules defining prohibited groundwater pumping that is 'harmful' to springs and rivers 'are not an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority.'
'We believe the ALJ erred in finding that the 2016 legislation did not require more protective rules to prevent groundwater withdrawals that are harmful to Outstanding Florida Springs,' RYAN SMART of the Florida Springs Council said Thursday.
— Bruce Ritchie
PENINSULA AND BEYOND
DETAINED IN PR — 'Immigration raids have been so rare in Puerto Rico that its only detention facility, in an office building next to a mall, can hold only about 20 detainees,' reports Patricia Mazzei of The New York Times. 'Yet federal authorities in the U.S. territory have detained more than 500 people since President Trump took office in January. The escalation has upset many Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens, and has underscored their uneasy relationship with Washington.'
— 'Palm Beach County, facing loss of $600 million in grant funds, suspends DEI programs,' reports Mike Diamond of the Palm Beach Post.
CAMPAIGN MODE
GOP REACTIONS TO JOLLY's CANDIDACY — Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Rep. BYRON DONALDS bashed the candidacy of Democrat DAVID JOLLY in a post on X, saying the former member of Congress was 'completely out of touch with Florida's voters and our values.'
Asked about it on WIOD, Jolly responded: 'I don't think Byron Donalds actually believes what Byron Donalds says.'
The Republican Governors Association also weighed in, accusing Jolly of 'flip flopping' because he used to be a Republican then a no-party affiliated voter.
'David Jolly has spent his flailing political career leaning whichever way the wind blows in an attempt at political opportunity and relevancy. Floridians have seen this show before, and they won't buy it,' said RGA spokesperson COURTNEY ALEXANDER.
TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP
CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE — Restore Our Nation, a DeSantis political action committee, tripped into the middle of the feud between Trump and ELON MUSK this week, reports POLITICO's Kimberly Leonard. A fundraising message centered on DOGE and 'hits' on Musk raised eyebrows among the MAGA faithful and other Republicans who saw the governor as taking sides, though DeSantis didn't mention Trump in the donation appeal and had been pressuring Congress to enact the DOGE cuts last week.
TARYN FENSKE, a spokesperson for the governor's political operation, said the fundraising language was approved May 29 — the day before Trump prepared to extol Musk during a friendly send-off at the White House. The fundraising appeal got amplified on X just as the Trump-Musk feud devolved on Thursday.
… All's well that ends well? The White House is now signaling a detente with Musk, POLITICO's Dasha Burns reported late Thursday.
RENT IS DUE — 'The Trump administration is renting three houses near Mar-a-Lago for $13.3 million, a sum greater than half of the properties' estimated market value and a steep markup from the rates it paid in the same Palm Beach neighborhood five years ago,' reports Jack Fitzpatrick of Bloomberg Government.
DATELINE D.C.
PATRONIS' FIRST BILL — Rep. JIMMY PATRONIS (R-Fla.) filed a bill calling for a January 6-style investigation into former President JOE BIDEN's medical state, Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics reports.
Patronis attacked the former president and his staff over what he called a 'massive cover-up.' His bill would establish a select committee on the former president's cognitive function.
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
BIRTHDAYS: Florida International University President Jeanette Núñez … former Rep. Allen Boyd … former state Sen. Paula Dockery … Cathy Schroeder, former deputy staff director for Florida Senate Democratic office … (Saturday) state Sen. Jason Brodeur … former state Rep. Buzz Ritchie ... Myra Adams, political and religious writer … (Sunday) Kathy Mears, chief of staff for Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson … state Rep. Kevin Chambliss … South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise.
