Florida declares war on the Hispanic community

HISPANIC COMMUNITY SEEN AS ENEMY | Ramiro Cavazos affirms that Florida’s new law eliminates job opportunities for Hispanic immigrants in various sectors. (Photo/EFE)

SPEAKS RAMIRO CAVAZOS, US HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S PRESIDENT & CEO.

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Ramiro Cavazos, the president of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), condemned the new anti-immigrant law pushed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as “regressive” and a punishment to the Latino business community. “We don’t believe it’s fair for the same community that works every day to strengthen the state’s economy to now be positioned as the enemy,” lamented the business leader when speaking about law SB1718, which came into effect on Saturday, July 1.

Cavazos, who represents over 250 Latino chambers of commerce in the country, expressed that what is happening is “ironic.” In Florida, 20 percent of the population is made up of immigrants. Among other provisions, the new law requires companies with 25 or more employees to use the E-verify system to verify the legal immigration status of their workers. Cavazos pointed out that Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of Hispanic entrepreneurs, with over 600 thousand businesses contributing over 90 billion dollars annually to the economy.

Generating over a million jobs

“Florida is one of the main centers of Latino entrepreneurship in the United States,” emphasized Cavazos, who is of Mexican origin. He stated that the state’s government “is impacting the hospitality, tourism, and agricultural industries and eliminating job opportunities.” He specified that in the hospitality, tourism, and agriculture sectors, there are over 286,000 Latino-owned companies in Florida (16.53 percent of the total) that generate over a million jobs.

Cavazos highlighted that his organization supports “pro-business and bipartisan solutions” that support the five million Hispanic entrepreneurs in the country and their collaboration with other key organizations. Given the entrepreneurial value of the Hispanic community in Florida, Cavazos said they selected Orlando, in the center of the state, as the venue for the USHCC’s annual conference, which will take place from September 24 to 26.

The idea is to “elevate the economic power of the Latino community,” said the business leader. “On the Chamber’s side, we see the number of opportunities that exist in the numerous cities in Florida such as Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale,” he asserted. In that regard, he urged the DeSantis government “to reconsider its approach and its regressive policies.” According to the Florida Policy Institute, the industries that will be affected by the new law are: construction, professional and scientific services, accommodation, food services, arts, and recreation.

A voice against intolerance

This think tank calculated that these industries employ 391,000 undocumented workers, representing nearly 10 percent of the employment in these industries. The new law states that a person who transports an undocumented immigrant to Florida from another state commits a second-degree felony and considers it an aggravating factor if the transported person is a minor, even if they are a family member. Cavazos emphasized that the “negative impact” is not just on the Latino business community but on the entire community.

Hispanic entrepreneurs play “a crucial role in driving growth, innovation, and job creation in Florida’s diverse business landscape” and the country, he said. He also recalled the “significant” increase of 13 percent in Hispanic farmers in the country between the agricultural censuses of 2012 and 2017. Cavazos stressed that the USHCC will “continue to speak out against any form of ignorance or intolerance that seeks to weaken our system of democracy and justice for those who have no voice.”

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