Protesters gathered at the Florida capital late Sunday afternoon to decry the state’s efforts to back a federal crackdown on illegal immigration.
About 50 people chanted and waved signs along Monroe Street. Isabel Ruano was among them. She says in Tallahassee, undocumented immigrants aren’t always easily visible, but...
“…but every time you go to eat at a restaurant, you be sure that the person in the back is preparing your meal and washing your dishes -- the immigrant, undocumented community is big in Tallahassee. They just don’t show themselves very much. But they’re here and they're needed and they have a very, very important role to the economy of Tallahassee.”
Ruano says the protest was spontaneous.
“People have been talking to each other about what to do and somebody said, ‘Let’s go to the Capitol!’ Some people said yes, some people were afraid, but as you can see, a lot of people showed up just from a person in a Facebook group saying, ‘Let’s go to the Capitol at 4 o’clock.’ And this happened.”
The protest comes after the Florida Legislature okayed a $500 million immigration package. It’s intended to position the state to cooperate with the federal crackdown on illegal immigration. But Governor Ron DeSantis has said he plans to veto it. He says a proposal he pitched, but that lawmakers rebuffed, was stronger.
