Migrants

Artist Jonathan Martinez, 22, center, whose Mexican parents first worked on farms when they arrived in the U.S. more than two decades ago, holds a hand-painted sign as protests along with his sister Paola, right, a 19-year-old cosmetology student, against Florida Senate bill 1718, which imposes restrictions on undocumented immigrants, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Immokalee, Fla.

Immigration

Florida immigration advocacy groups are pushing back against DeSantis' border policies

Adrian Andrews

Humanitarian-aid orgs say the state’s newest anti-immigration laws will hurt it, in the long run.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' flight that took 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., is being investigated by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office in Texas. The migrants were flown from Texas to Florida and then on to Martha's Vineyard. Here, DeSantis speaks at a rally on Aug. 19 in Pittsburgh.

Government & Politics

Federal judge urged to clear way for DeSantis-migrant flights case

Jim Saunders/News Service of Florida

Plaintiffs last week fired back after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration argued that a federal judge should dismiss a potential class-action lawsuit filed after Florida flew 49 migrants from Texas to Massachusetts in September.Attorneys for three migrants from Venezuela and the non-profit group Alianza Americas filed a 106-page document in federal court in Massachusetts disputing a series of arguments raised by the DeSantis administration in a Feb. 28 motion to dismiss the case.

Farmworkers and their allies marched on Palm Beach. Around 500 peaceful protesters came out on the last day of the march in support of the farmworkers. With the determination to “build a new world”, where farmworkers can live free of human rights abuses and have dignified work the Farmworkers and allies marched the 45, plus, miles. On Tuesday they left the fields of Pahokee, FL, and walked to the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach. One of the biggest goals for the march was to put pressure on Wendy’s, Publix and Kroger corporations into joining the Fair Food Program. FFP was started by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Human Interest

They marched to end modern day slavery in the agricultural fields

Eileen Kelley and Andrea Melendez/WGCU Investigative Team

Farmworkers share stories of life in the Florida agricultural fields

Lucas Benitez, a farmworker and co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was awarded the Wallenberg Medal by the University of Michigan for his extraordinary achievements in the field of human rights. Here is Benitez as he helped lead the march. Around 500 peaceful protesters came out on the last day of the march in support of the farmworkers. With the determination to “build a new world”, where farmworkers can live free of human rights abuses and have dignified work the Farmworkers and allies marched the 45, plus, miles. On Tuesday they left the fields of Pahokee, FL, and walked to the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach. One of the biggest goals for the march was to put pressure on Wendy’s, Publix and Kroger corporations into joining the Fair Food Program. FFP was started by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Human Interest

Over 100 start march across Florida to protest modern slavery in the agricultural fields

Eileen Kelley and Andrea Melendez/WGCU Investigative Team

For more than a decade the Coalition of Immokalee Workers have been trying to entice giant retailers to join the Fair Food Program. Wendy's, Publix and Kroger have been hold-outs

On January 2 at 8 am, Dry Tortugas National Park will temporarily close to public access while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transport to Key West for approximately 300 migrants who arrived in the park over the past couple of days. Enid Magari, a former resident of Cooper City, Florida, was camping on Dry Tortugas when some of the migrants landed, and got footage of some of those who made the landing.

Government & Politics

Dry Tortugas National Park closed after 300 refugees arrive; officials warn of 'humanitarian crisis'

Michael Braun

The closure, which is expected to last several days, is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff because of the resources and space needed to attend to the refugees. A camper on the island witnessed several of the landings.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a question during a press conference Sept. 7, 2022, in Miami, Fla. The Republican governors of Florida and Texas have delivered migrants on planes and buses to Washington, D.C., New York City, and even Martha's Vineyard, but they may just be getting started.

DOT and a Florida contractor face a public records lawsuit over migrant flights

The News Service of Florida

An open-government group has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation and a state contractor, alleging they did not comply with public-records requests stemming from controversial flights of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.