It appears that even for Republicans, when immigration is made a state issue, it becomes a sticky political matter, especially in states like Florida with large agriculture businesses, a large Latin American population, and Latin American tourists and investment.
Although Republicans walked in virtual lock-step during last year’s elections on the need to import the Arizona immigration law, the idea is getting a rough reception in (the state capital) Tallahassee.
Florida law-enforcement organizations don’t want to open themselves up to accusations of racial profiling. Florida’s agricultural barons – who rely heavily on migrant workers – aren’t supporting it. And tourism groups fear it could chase visitors’ tax dollars to other warm climates.
“We are known as a diverse, welcoming state for international investors, international entrepreneurs … particularly from Latin America. We have to be very careful about messages we send explicitly and implicitly,” said newly minted Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, a Republican who wrestled with immigration reform until his final days in Congress last December.
“Cutting and pasting the Arizona law is not what’s right for Florida,” he said."
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