TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — State leaders and legal experts talked about immigration Tuesday and the fear that resonates in people in the Tampa Bay area.
During a town hall in Ybor City, numerous Democratic state leaders and immigration attorneys accused the federal government of detaining individuals without due process, even those who entered the U.S. legally and are not criminals.
“They are hunting us Hispanics,” said one man in the crowd.
“Once you get detained, the laws are not being followed, so a lot of people are scared right now,” said Sonia Martinez with Magnified Voices.
Others argued there is a lack of humanity and said immigration is being presented as an issue of criminality.
“They believe that all these immigrants are hauling fentanyl across the border,” stated Patrick Mantiega, a publisher and editor. “They say they drive poorly and cause fatalities on the highway.”
Governor Ron DeSantis spoke about the case where a semi-truck driver was charged and put into ICE custody after a crash that killed three people.
“You’re coming from India. How many other countries are you going through? And then you show up at the southern border and remain silent, like, what? Why don’t you seek asylum elsewhere? So they’re exploiting the process and the laws we have in the United States of America, and they’re trained to do this,” DeSantis remarked. “So to have three people killed, so senselessly, it’s absolutely enraging to witness this, knowing that none of this, that all this could have been avoided.”
Legal experts at the town hall said it’s important for people to know the facts.
“Being an immigrant is not a criminal offense. Entering through the border is not a criminal offense. Entering through the border and seeking asylum is a legal and international human right,” stated Danielle Hernandez, an immigration attorney.
The Trump Administration claimed it is taking measures to restrict the entry of foreign nationals to safeguard the United States from foreign, national, and public safety threats.
“We’ve got to bring sanity to this and rather than play off of people’s fear and prejudices,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
