Florida
Concerns rise in Florida as Trump, DeSantis plan immigration policy shifts
ORLANDO, Fla. – Advocates and those directly impacted by potential changes to immigration laws in Florida are expressing their concerns.
Two days after calling a special session on immigration, hurricane recovery and more, Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined a series of policies he believes will be easier to implement once President-elect Trump takes office.
“In this legislative session, you’re going to see some major changes in the federal government’s posture when it comes to the border and immigration,” DeSantis said during a press conference at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday
One of the things DeSantis said he would push for is to require local law enforcement to participate in federal immigration enforcement, which would include Trump’s plans to start a mass deportation effort.
[ What are the expected immigration policies under a second Trump Administration?]
Seventeen-year-old Polet Oaxaca, the daughter of a Central Florida immigrant farmworker, expressed her concerns to News 6.
“I feel like it’s worrisome. You never know what will happen when you go out of the house, to maybe buy groceries,” she said. “She’s scared that something’s going to happen, that she’s going to have to go back to Mexico. All that hard work going down the drain. It’s all wasted.”
Locally, the Farmworker Association of Florida is advocating for immigrants. Ernesto Ruiz, the agroecology coordinator, noted that while anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified, it might just be empty promises.
“There is concern because even though we have been through a Trump presidency, DeSantis administration, the language is escalated, right?” he said.
“When they’re talking about record deportations, it gets people worried. It gets us worried. I remind myself, and I try to remind my friends and colleagues and community members that we have to separate Trump the candidate from Trump, the statesman. Because he says a lot of things and he doesn’t follow through with a lot of things.”
Families like Oaxaca’s remain fearful, especially with DeSantis’ proposals, which include repealing a law that allows undocumented children to pay in-state tuition rates.
“Honestly, I think they’re trying to make things difficult for us. We haven’t done anything wrong here,” Oaxaca said. “The only reason why we’ve ever, why Hispanics have come over here or immigrants, in general, have come here is for a better life for them.
Governor DeSantis also suggested implementing citizen verification for foreign remittances, a move Ruiz believes could have negative repercussions.
“By limiting the amount of money that we can go and send to communities back in the global South that need it, you’re going to increase poverty,” Ruiz argued. “How does that solve anything other than punish the people here, punish the people back there, and then create a huge incentive for more immigration to come?”
The special session the governor called to discuss immigration will be on Jan. 27.
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TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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