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Florida Senate Passes Bill Cracking Down on Immigration

Plus: Democratic attorneys general step up to defend an Illinois law limiting federal immigration detention

Fisayo Okare

Mar 08, 2022

Advocates protest outside the Bergen County Jail. Photo: Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio

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This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Florida’s senate has passed a bill barring state agencies from working with companies that are found to transport undocumented workers to Florida. Companies would be required to disclose if they transport undocumented immigrants. The bill does not specify a process to check if the transport was provided knowingly or “willingly,” but requires that companies working with Florida’s government attest they’ve never transported an undocumented immigrant, except to bring to them to a detention facility, or help remove them from the state or the U.S. The bill now heads for the state House for approval. WFLA

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Democratic Attorneys General Back Illinois Law Limiting Federal Immigration Detention

A group of Democratic state attorneys general on Friday filed a friend-of-the court brief defending an Illinois law that prohibits state and local governments from undertaking federal government contracts aimed at detaining individuals for civil immigration violations. The law in question forbids state or local government entities from renewing or signing a new agreement to house individuals detained for federal civil immigration violations. It also requires Illinois state or local government entities that have such agreements to end them. Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, who led the attorneys general to file the brief, also previously led a coalition of attorneys general defending a New Jersey policy that limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. WTOP News

Afghans Resettling in the U.S. Struggle to Find Affordable Housing

After fleeing her home in the now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Mozhgan Entazari said it was incredibly difficult to resettle in California. It took Entazari four months to find housing for herself, her children and husband, and seven other members of her family. And until then, her family couldn’t find work or sign kids up for school. The family’s struggles are emblematic of what many Afghans are finding since they moved off U.S. military bases and into American cities and towns following last summer’s dramatic airlift operation. While Entazari and others look to join vibrant Afghan communities in southern California and Washington, D.C., they’ve found these places are among the hardest and most expensive to find housing. The Eagle

U.S. Visa Delays Are Taking a Toll on Frustrated Workers

After graduating from Duke University, Waqar Aqeel almost lost out on the opportunity to work for Google due to delays in receiving his work visa. He’s among more than a million immigrants stuck waiting for U.S. work permits, forcing many of them out of the job market even as companies face labor shortages.  Embassies and immigration offices saw a rise in processing times for visas and work permits after the pandemic led them to close their physical locations for months. The situation created a backlog of cases that the immigration agency is still struggling to work through and highlighting what critics say is the cumulative effect of years of dysfunction. Bloomberg

Alabama Congress Member Pushes Bill to Let Local Leaders Control Immigrant Resettlement

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is pushing Congress to approve his proposed bill that would give state and city leaders authority to control immigrant resettlement. The bill aims to prohibit the use of federal funds for transporting, housing and resettling undocumented immigrants without approval from governors and local leaders, and prohibit the placement of immigrants in areas where there is a law or policy against resettlement. Valdosta Daily Times

Fisayo Okare

Fisayo writes Documented’s "Early Arrival" newsletter and "Our City" column. She is an MSc. graduate of Columbia Journalism School, New York, and earned her BSc. degree in Mass Comm. from Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

@fisvyo

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