A diverse group of bipartisan elected officials, business leaders, DACA recipients and. essential workers including former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried assembled virtually on Thursday, Feb. 25 to discuss common-sense, bipartisan immigration solutions for Florida.
The summit, titled “Florida Thriving: Bipartisan Immigration Solutions” was co-hosted by IMPAC Fund, American Business Immigration Coalition, President’s Alliance for Higher Education, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Haitian American Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade County Office of New Americans, FWD US, and Florida Immigrant Coalition.
The summit included panel discussions on the impacts of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on higher education, modernizing America’s farm workforce, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the hospitality industry, and the effects of immigration policy on essential workers.
“The hotel and restaurant industry has really suffered. We do not have enough workers. We have never had enough workers. We’re the largest employer of people in the state. We had over 1.5 million employees,” said Carol Dover, CEO and President, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “All we can do is pray that our elected officials on both sides of the aisle will come together to try to fulfill the dreams of so many of our immigrants that we must have in order for our state to continue to be an economic engine and to continue to employ our people to work in our business. Otherwise, our businesses don’t survive.”
“To be honest, the only way I think immigration reform takes place on a national level will be the same way that it happened here in Florida which is people overcoming their fears. One of the most powerful things and emotions a person can feel is fear, it can be crippling, it can be debilitating, and people are concerned particularly on the right about their political future,” said former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, who represented Pasco County in the legislature from 2006-2014. “They’re fearful and when people are fearful, they don’t want to step out and show courage, so what we have to do is, you know, not just convince people that we are right. We have to help them overcome their fear and the good news is that there are two human emotions that are more powerful than fear, and that’s hope and love. You have to remind people that these are humans, these are children, these are folks that have done nothing wrong that are looking for an opportunity at life in this country. I think this can be accomplished if everybody rallies together.”