The second Trump administration has begun to implement sweeping inhumane immigration policies, including what could be the largest mass detention and deportation program in U.S. history.
Experience from smaller-scale detention sweeps shows that his proposed policies will lead to people, including American citizens and individuals with protected status, being stopped, arrested, or detained simply because of the color of their skin or accent. The scale of this mass deportation plan is only possible by curtailing the right to due process and other basic legal rights that are provided to every person in the United States.
Florida is one of the most diverse states in our country. Our state is home to nearly five million immigrants who are our neighbors, co-workers, and the backbone of critical industries. Over a third of the state's agricultural workers and nearly a quarter of its construction workers are immigrants. Nearly half of health aides and over a quarter of nurses in Florida are immigrants. They have filled vital gaps in our state’s workforce for decades – including President Trump’s Florida-based businesses - and contribute nearly 12 billion dollars in state and local taxes yearly. Additionally, over 700,000 mixed-status families and approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens live with an undocumented parent in Florida.
We know this much: our communities are stronger and better with the contributions of immigrants. However, when our government denies fundamental legal rights to the immigrant community—everyone’s rights are at risk.
In the weeks leading up to Florida’s legislative session, the Governor and leaders in the legislature filed competing anti-immigrant bills allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to support Trump’s cruel mass deportation agenda. The Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the House called for Special Sessions to swiftly pass, in less than 48 hours, and without any time for the public to review or provide input, sweeping anti-immigrant legislation that would harm millions of Floridians and decimate our economy.
Instead of supporting balanced practical pathways to integrate essential workers and their families, our Governor, Attorney General, and leaders in the legislature have aligned themselves with Trump’s xenophobic and nativist agenda. One that openly disregards principles of fairness, human dignity, and the rule of law. Even so, our state’s leaders have chosen to divert half a billion taxpayer dollars away from the dire needs of our state and toward an agenda that will tear apart families and destabilize communities.
Floridians should prepare for significant challenges, such as:
Understanding your rights and preparing for these potential changes are critical steps toward protecting yourself and your community. Your rights include protections against unlawful searches and seizures, the right to remain silent, the right to speak to an attorney, and due process guarantees if detained or facing removal proceedings. Whether at home, in the workplace, or in public, knowing these rights and how to assert them is vital.
Now is the time to take action to keep our families, neighbors, and communities safe. It is critical that every person in our state, regardless of their status, be able to live, go to school, raise children, and travel without fear of violence, harassment, and discrimination. Together, we can confront this moment. We can defend our values. We can assert our power and protect our communities.
The Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RAISE) is a coalition formed by leaders in the human rights community, advocates, civil rights attorneys, and immigration law experts with decades of experience.
In addition to the RAISE coalition’s resources, the ACLU has compiled additional informational materials to help you learn your rights in different languages.
Despite the challenges that face us right now, there is power in preparation. Some changes to immigration policies can happen quickly, others might take more time. Make sure you do your best to prepare ahead and protect yourself.
Schools, universities, hospitals, places of worship, and workplaces can have policies to protect immigrants in their care or workplace if ICE shows up. Use these resources to learn more about your rights and responsibilities.
The Florida Detention Database gathers complaints regarding conditions of confinement and access to counsel in Florida’s immigrant detention centers. For too long, there have been countless reports of inhumane and abusive conditions in Florida’s immigration detention centers.
Immigrants at the Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida are experiencing a range of abuses, including excessive use of force, extreme medical neglect, racist harassment, retaliation, voyeurism, impediments to accessing legal counsel, and lack of adequate hygiene and food.