Catholic Bishops: Florida's Immigration Crackdown Legislation Will Exacerbate Border Crisis

Florida Phoenix

- March 10, 2022

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a written statement lamenting the state Legislature’s vote to deny state and local government contracts to companies that help the federal government move asylum seekers into the state.

The bill (SB 1808), granted final approval on Wednesday by the Florida House, is among a number of culture-war bills pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis during his reelection campaign year.

It would bar state and local governments from signing contracts with or offering economic incentives to carriers “willfully providing any service in furtherance of transporting an unauthorized alien into the state of Florida knowing that the unauthorized alien entered into or remains in the United States in violation of law.”

It also requires county sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding undocumented immigrants in custody.

“The Legislature’s consideration of SB 1808 has been challenging to observe,” the bishops wrote.

“Well-intended parties differ greatly on whether or not sections of the bill will accomplish what the sponsors represented. Its anticipated impact is difficult to project because the bill is so confusing, vague, and rife with dimensions that are likely to prompt legal challenges,” they continued.

The bishops noted wide agreement that the federal immigration system is “broken.”

“Passage of this bill did not streamline or improve federal immigration policy. Regrettably, it is likely to add to the system’s dysfunction. It may also add burdens to other states by possibly bringing to an end the good work to reunite immigrant children and families that has been undertaken in Florida for generations,” they said.

“The Catholic Church, with its near global presence and centuries of reflection on how best to address concerns for migrants, continues to propose a way forward to reform the immigration system. This vision incorporates prominent principles — such as securing borders and regularizing the status of those present among us — that are espoused by both major political parties. The needed reform of our immigration system calls for courage and humility to recognize the policy complexities and human needs at issue.”

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