Floridians reacted to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order banning entry to the United States by refugees, migrants and green-card holders from seven Muslim countries, protesting the order many say unfairly discriminates against those of the Muslim faith.
As Trump’s order targeting citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries reverberated across the world Saturday, it became increasingly clear that the controversial measure he had promised during his presidential campaign was casting a wider net than even his opponents had feared.
Opposition to the order grew across the country. Protesters flocked to international airports, where immigrants from the countries were detained in a travel limbo. Some were deported back to their home countries, most in the Middle East, which are being ravaged by war and genocide.
In Florida, protests were planned in nine different cities. Most were planned for Sunday afternoon.
In Miami, rain poured as opponents of Trump’s executive order flooded into the arrivals side of the Miami International Airport, waving signs and chanting.
The weather couldn’t dampen protesters’ spirits, though -- their energy remained high as they vowed to speak out against the policy and push for equal rights for all immigrants coming to America.
Rallies were also held at the Fort Lauderdale Airport, Orlando International Airport and the Palm Beach International Airport.
“Trump's policies stand juxtaposed to our values— this is not who we are. The United States and Orlando stands with our immigrants,” wrote Support Central Florida Muslim Community, the group hosting the event.
Three people were currently held up in Orlando by customs officers at the time of this article’s publication.
Florida politicians dived into the foray as well, speaking out against the executive order which has dominated the news cycle this weekend.
Republican U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, both from South Florida, expressed grave concerns over the executive order.
“US permanent residents shouldn't be detained, deported, or discriminated against,” Curbelo tweeted Sunday. “They've already been thoroughly vetted.”
Ros-Lehtinen, who currently sits on and chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011-2013, flat out rejected Trump’s order.
"We could have accomplished our objective of keeping our homeland safe by immediate implementation of more thorough screening procedures,” she said in a statement. “Both the letter and the spirit of the rule of law, on which our liberties rest, require that we honor legal commitments and procedures established by law, including existing visas and approved refugee status, absent specific articulable reasons for reversing a prior decision.”
Ros-Lehtinen also had a warning for the Trump administration.
“The new Administration needs to pay careful attention to crafting orders that honor existing legal commitments and existing law, in contrast to this broad brush approach which doesn't focus on the precise problems."
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., made an appearance at the Orlando International Airport to meet with friends of a local resident who had been detained while traveling.
“Trump’s Muslim ban is unnecessary, unconstitutional and un-American,” Soto tweeted Sunday.
Floridas senators chimed in on the order as well. Florida's senior Senator, Bill Nelson, criticized the "hastily-issued" policy.
"A...policy that bans everyone from one of these seven countries from entering the U.S. -- including Iraqi interpreters who served alongside our troops in Iraq -- is not the answer," Nelson said.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio weighed in on the controversy Sunday evening in a joint statement with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
"We generally support additional vetting for many of those entering our country from nations where the United States has identified there are serious concerns regarding terrorist activities and planning," they wrote. "But given the broad scope and nature of these policy changes, we have some unanswered questions and concerns.
"We are seeking clarity on the changes to the Visa Waiver program, which is critical to the economies of our respective states," they continued. "And we are uneasy about the potential impact of these measures on our military and our diplomatic personnel abroad, as well as those who put their lives on the line to work with us."
A federal judge in New York granted the American Civil Liberties Union request to stay deportations of people detained on entry to the U.S. on Saturday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
