President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportation of immigrants without legal status in the country. One of the ways that’s playing out is with agreements between local and state police agencies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
And the majority of law enforcement agencies to sign written agreements with ICE are in Florida.
This includes Fort Myers, where city council members first voted 3-3 on allowing ICE to train police officers to assist with deportations, but approved it nanimously following mounting pressure from the DeSantis administration.
Guests:
- Elizabeth Andarge, reporter for WGCU.
- Kevin Anderson, mayor of the Fort Myers.
- Rick Brunson, reporter for Central Florida Public Media.
- Danny Rivero, investigative reporter for WLRN.
"Medically Unnecessary"
In the last couple of years, thousands of kids have been dropped from Medicaid statewide. It’s part of a process called "medical redetermination." That’s the subject of a four-part series from Central Florida Public Media. “Medically Unnecessary” examines how children with complex medical needs are faring after losing coverage and being pushed onto state-run health insurance not designed for their needs.
Guest:
- Joe Mario Pedersen, the health reporter for Central Florida Public Media who wrote the series.
‘Your Florida’ legislative session, Week 4
Each week of the legislative session we will talk about some of the issues you have told us matter. It’s part of the “Your Florida” project, connecting you with state government and policies that affect your life.
This week, we focused on the workplace. Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2020 to raise the minimum wage by $1 an hour each year. It’s set to reach $15 by 2026.
But some lawmakers are supporting a measure to allow some people, like those doing on-the-job training, to get paid less than the minimum wage. Another proposal gaining traction would loosen some restrictions on child labor.
Guest:
- Douglas Soule, WUSF state government reporter.
Weekly news briefing
The impacts of the Trump administration’s immigration policies are being felt in communities throughout the state, including those with Venezuelans.
There’s now a virtual experience in South Florida to take people to Venezuela by putting on a virtual reality headset and headphones. The project has allowed members of the Venezuelan diaspora to reconnect with their homeland.
For Muslims, Ramadan — the ninth month of the Islamic calendar — is the holiest time of the year. And mosques in South Florida view the month as an opportunity to build bridges between faith groups.
And finally, we take you on a bird walk with the Tampa Audubon Society and Florida Ornithological Society.
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