Immigrants in the Tampa Bay region who are here without legal documentation are waiting anxiously to see what President Trump’s vow to carry out mass deportations means for them.
WUSF’s Nancy Guan joins Florida Matters to discuss her reporting on the potential impact of tough new immigration policy on immigrants, Florida’s economy and more.
“There’s an expectation that there will be a chill on the community,” Guan said.
“At the same time these families have to keep living and keep making a living.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida will do everything it can to back up the president’s agenda on immigration. He’s calling for a special session beginning next week to discuss immigration among other issues.
But Florida legislative leaders pushed back, calling the move “premature."
Jason Delgado, Florida Capitol correspondent for Bay News 9 and My News 13, joins Florida Matters to discuss the state immigration policy and the relationship between state lawmakers, DeSantis and Trump.
The president is bringing a bevy of Floridians into the White House with him in his second term, and Delgado also talks about what this could mean for state politics and for Floridians.
Delgado said the rebuke from lawmakers over the call for a special session is “the most notable time where Republican leadership has pushed back against Governor DeSantis.”
“We have yet to learn about what exactly this deportation plan looks like from President Trump, and they feel like it could do more harm and than good to get out ahead of him,” he said.
Listen to the full show by using the media player above.
