Temporary Protected Status 

has been granted to Haitians!

On Friday, January 15, 2010, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals who were in the U.S. as of January 12, 2010. TPS will only apply to eligible Haitians who were in the U.S. as of January 12, 2010. We urge Haitians in Haiti or elsewhere not to put their lives at additional risk by embarking on a dangerous sea voyage. The U.S. is strongly committed to providing humanitarian relief in Haiti, and is deeply engaged in operations currently underway to assist those affected by this catastrophe. Our primary focus remains on the response to the earthquake to help American citizens as well as the citizens of Haiti.

Currently, Temporary Protective Status has been approved for Haitian Nationals until July 22, 2011 but those that qualify must apply for this status prior to January 18, 2011! Don't put this off for later!

For more information, click here, to visit the TPS for Haitian Campaign Page.

Please check out FLIC's new blog!! If you participate in a pro-migrant organization in Florida, and are unsure if your organization has joined as a member of FLIC, its not too late to join and share about your work and your successes on our blog as well! For those already involved as members of FLIC, please send recent reflections and images of your local efforts to Info@FloridaImmigrant.org so that we can highlight your important work!

FLIC member groups, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center throughout the state are collaborating to defeat the approaching threat of racist, anti-immigrant legislation similar to that of arizona, and working to defeat 287(g) and "SComm" partnerships between immigraiton enforcement officials and local police. The worst of the 287(g) agreements are found in the following counties: Duval (Jacksonville), Bay (Panama City), and Collier (Naples).  The report below shows that these programs are allowing Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take local police away from their mission of fighting crime, and pull them into the murky territory of targeting immigrants for arrest without suspicion of crime. ICE described the 287(g) program as a public safety measure to target "criminal illegal aliens," but its largest impact has been on law-abiding immigrant communities. This report details findings from a year-long investigation of 287(g) by Justice Strategies, and recommends that the ICE program be terminated.

News & Upcoming Events

With state and national elections drawing close, the Florida Immgirant Coalition and our partners are keeping vigilant of anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric that, unfortunately, is being used by all political parties to gain popularity and votes. We must all work together to change the framing of the conversations regarding immigrants so that immigrants, too, can be recognized as human beings that are part of hard working families trying to support Florida's progress and success!

We need representatives that do not alienate minority communities, that value and stand for the defense of the rights of ALL workers from employment abuses, and that are committed to the investment in quality education that is affordable and accessible to all striving to realize the American Dream. We also all have a civic responsibility to organize and encourage our families, peers, and communities to register to vote and get out the vote! Voting is a form of activism, through which we have the privilege of having a say in who is running our government and how they are upholding our fundamental values of family unity, equality, and freedom from fear and exploitation.

On September 18th, the Florida Immigrant Coalition partenred with ACLU, NAACP, and FIAC to take a united stance against current proposals at the state level to bring anti-immigrant and anti-american legislation similar to Arizona's SB 1070 to Florida.

 

The proposed legislation would undermine

 

 

 

Show your support for our farmworker families! Download this letter to Gov. Crist, sign it, send it and spread the word! Thank you!

 

 

Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Take Action NOW!


Please join this campaign by:

- Sending a free e-fax to your Senators, Representatives, and Congressional leaders

-Calling your Senator and congress person (Make sure to give them your name and zip code) and telling them that you support Comprehensive Immigration Reform

-Supporting AgJOBS (a bill that allows immigrant farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture and reforms the current H2A guest worker program, providing growers with a safe and stable workforce). More Info.

- Supporting the DREAM Act (a bill that would provide undocumented young people with a conditional path to citizenship in exchange for a mandatory two years in higher education or military service). More info.

Join FLIC's

Facebook group!

Check it out here:  

Members: Please Pay your 2010 Dues!

Your membership in the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) is invaluable as we work to build the immigrant rights movement for fair treatment of all throughout our state.

Florida is a key state in national immigration reform efforts, and FLIC is at the center of this struggle. We need your participation and support so we can continue to address key issues, defend our rights and promote positive change for all. We have so much to win!

FLIC is involved in local, state, regional and national coalition work--be a part of it!

As you know, members of FLIC:

* Support the Coalition's mission and vision;

* Support Coalition campaigns, utilizing their personal capacity, skills, and ideas to strengthen a movement-building effort in Florida;

* Build alliances through our network across social justice sectors, race, class, and gender.

Members also have the benefit of being:

*Consulted for statewide strategic desicions regarding the goals and methodology of the immgrant right's movement in Florida;
* Consulted on best methods to represent migrant communities of Florida at forums with legislators in DC or with National Coalitions;
* Invited to participate in various training opportunities, strategic planning/community organizing workshops, and political education to deepen our understanding of systemic oppression and root causes of migration.
* Encouraged to nominate candidates for the Board of Directors of FLIC and vote to elect members to that Board every year at our statewide Congress.

Your financial support is crucial to showing the strength of our grassroots movement. We see financial contributions as a concrete form of direct activism because it is an investment in the work that reflects your core values and ideals. Your contribution will allow us to maintain opportunities for further leadership training, community organizing and to support the travel costs for mobilizations.