Curbelo: Florida Senate Bill 168 will hurt our communities and our economy
Governance, when done properly, is an act of service to those you represent. It is about finding ways to work together to improve the lives of people in your community. During my four years in Congress, I tried my best to put what my community deserves ahead of partisanship. Now that I am no longer in office, I am deeply concerned about the impact House Bill 527, which recently passed in the Florida House, and Senate Bill 168 could have on our economy.
These bills attempt to solve a problem that does not exist, proposing the ban of nonexistent sanctuary cities by mandating our local law enforcement officers begin enforcing federal immigration law. This harmful, anti-immigrant legislation will wreak havoc on our communities and our economy. It is at odds with our Floridian values and is symptomatic of the need for a solution to our lapsed federal immigration system. SB 168 and HB 527 ignore the economic realities of our state. By targeting immigrant communities, our state representatives risk Florida losing billions of dollars in GDP.
What our senators in Tallahassee need to remember is that immigrants are contributing members of communities here in Florida. They are business owners and job creators. Just this month, more than 120 Florida business leaders united to sign an open letter in opposition to this legislation, highlighting immigrants’ essential role in supporting and growing our state’s economy. In fact, as of 2017, New American Economy has shown that more than $7.8 billion in state and local taxes and nearly $92 billion in spending power has come from our immigrant population.
This legislation unnecessarily targets a vital population by requiring local law enforcement to check the immigration status of everyone they interact with. Doing this would create a climate of fear, which could drive immigrants to leave the state, having a devastating effect on our economy and workforce.
Another significant shortcoming of SB 168 and HB 527 is that they require local municipalities to pull from already-strained agency resources to support new federal responsibilities. Without additional funding, local law enforcement will be compelled to divert their critical and limited resources away from other responsibilities to meet this new standard. This means that in addition to harming and targeting those who are contributing to Florida’s prosperity, this legislation adds another fiscal burden onto already limited local budgets. Florida has long been known as a state where immigrants are welcome. A state where the American Dream is possible; where the son of Cuban refugees can go on to serve in Congress. It is these values that have helped make Florida a place I am proud to call home. It is why I joined more than 75 civic and business leaders in signing the Florida Compact. And it is this reputation we risk losing should legislation antithetical to our values, like SB 168 and HB 527, become law.
Ultimately, SB 168 and HB 527 reinforce the fact that we need immigration reform at the federal level. Legislative initiatives like these are, more than anything, symptoms of the federal government failing to meaningfully address immigration reform. The reason states like ours are trying to act on immigration issues is because the federal government has refused to do so after almost 15 years of debate. We need Congress to step up and find a real solution to fix our broken immigration system. SB 168 and HB 527 are not that solution. The legislation may generate headlines, but it offers little in the way of substance. Instead, these bills will drain local resources and damage our economy. We need legislation that fits with our long-held values, not flouts them for political gain.
And ultimately, we need Congress to pass sensible immigration reform. That is the only sustainable solution to our broken immigration system. I urge our state senators in Tallahassee, and Republicans representing communities that will be disproportionately affected, like Miami-Dade, to vote no when SB 168 and HB 527 come up for a vote in the Senate. I am confident our Florida leaders will do what’s best for our state.
Carlos Curbelo was the U.S. representative for Florida’s 26th congressional district from 2015 to 2019.
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 4:14 AM.