Sen. Darren Soto will be meeting with an immigrant advocacy organization to talk about immigrant action programs and how they will affect immigrant families in the Sunshine State.
On April 10, Soto will join the Young American Dreamers as part of a nationwide set of dinners to speak with five Florida families the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and the Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), a planned immigration program which would give deferred action to the parents of children who are either native American citizens or are lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Florida has long been one of the most active places in the country for immigrants due to its proximity to the Caribbean and Central America. A 2013 survey found nearly four million of Florida’s residents were born abroad, or about one in every five people.
Those numbers mean a big impact from local and federal immigration policies. Approximately 229,000 Florida immigrants would be eligible for deportation deferral, work permits, and state driver’s licenses under the immigration programs.
Deferred action doesn't necessarily mean these immigrants would be granted full legal status, but they'd be given a three-year, renewable work permit and would also be exempt from deportation.
Soto will also discuss the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, which would allow children who entered the country before their 16th birthday to receive a two-year work permit as well as an exemption from deportation.
Both policies were executive orders from President Barack Obama and have come under intense fire from national Republican leaders.
Forty-nine GOP senators and governors filed briefs Monday in support of Texas’ legal challenge to the Obama administration’s programs, which are scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court later this month.
"Given that the Executive has asserted that the acts challenged here are not even subject to judicial review, what is at stake in this matter is nothing less than an effort to supplant Congress's constitutional power to 'establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,'" wrote the GOP lawmakers. "Such an action stands in stark contravention to federal law and to the constitutional principle of the separation of powers."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was one of the national lawmakers to sign the brief.
Soto, in Florida, will meet with several families with different backgrounds, all living in Florida.
The DAPA dinner initiative invites 2016 political candidates, Senators, and Members of Congress to join an immigrant family for a meal to “discuss how federal immigration actions impact children, families, and communities.” This will be the latest in a series of meetings between politicians and DAPA-eligible families. To learn more about the DAPA Dinners campaign and other candidates who have participated click here.
A ruling on the legality of the programs is expected from the U.S. Supreme Court in June.
