TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A group of Florida business leaders and immigration advocates, including some who came to the U.S. from Cuba as unaccompanied children under “Operation Pedro Pan,” are asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to reverse a new rule that targets shelters licensed to house unaccompanied migrant children.
The letter, which was led by the American Business Immigration Coalition, is the latest backlash from pro-immigration advocates and religious leaders who oppose the orders proposed by DeSantis to fight federal immigration policies, including two bills currently being considered by the Legislature.
The emergency rule from September 2021 orders state agencies to stop issuing or renewing licenses for shelters that temporarily house immigrant children while they wait to be placed with a relative or sponsor. The signatories also opposed House Bill 1355 and Senate Bill 1808 that take aim at state contracts with businesses that transport migrants of all ages into Florida.
