Florida

Florida DACA recipient optimistic about Biden executive order's affect on Dreamers • Florida Phoenix

Published

5 months ago

June 20, 2024

Florida DACA recipient optimistic about Biden executive order's affect on Dreamers • Florida Phoenix

President Joe Biden’s executive order protecting undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens sparked condemnations from Republicans and praise from Democrats in Florida and around the country.

“Biden’s mass amnesty plan will undoubtedly lead to a greater surge in migrant crime, cost taxpayers millions of dollars they cannot afford, overwhelm public services, and steal Social Security and Medicare benefits from American seniors to fund benefits for illegals — draining the programs Americans paid into their entire working lives,” Donald Trump said in a written statement.

“It’s wrong,” added Florida GOP U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, according to Reuters. “We like immigration. But it ought to be legal immigration. These are people who came here illegally, so they should not have a path to citizenship. There should be no amnesty.”

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto. Credit: campaign website

Meanwhile, Central Florida Democratic Congressman Darren Soto applauded the move.

“Thanks @POTUS Biden for your efforts to expand legal protections for immigrant spouses and kids of U.S. citizens and college educated Dreamers,” Soto wrote on X. “This will help preserve many Central Florida families and boost our local economy.”

Orlando House Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani also is supportive.

“Two of Florida’s largest economies are tourism and agriculture, both rely heavily on immigrant workers. If we do not pass common-sense policies, like work permits for folks who are already tax paying individuals, we are hurting our economy and our communities,” said Eskamani.

The announcement came days just after the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy announced in 2012 by then President Barack Obama that shielded “Dreamers” — undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children and have lived and attend school in America — from deportation. Former President Donald Trump attempted to kill DACA when he was president, but it survived a court challenge — although its future remains uncertain as the case continues to move through the federal courts.

In addition to shielding the undocumented spouses of individuals married to U.S. citizens if they have been in the country for at least 10 years, the order will allow Dreamers who have earned a degree at a U.S. university and have received an offer of employment to more quickly receive work visas instead of temporary work authorizations, as is now the case.

Gamechanger

With the status of DACA uncertain, particularly if Trump is re-elected this fall, the move could be a gamechanger for Dreamers.

“The main thing that affects me would be that process of going through an employment visa,” said Orlando resident Ahtziry Barrera, 26, a native of Hidalgo, Mexico, who came with her mother to the United States at age 4 and became a DACA recipient a year after the program was created.

“I have been offered jobs where I cannot take them because I’m not a resident,” she told the Phoenix this week. “Nor am I a U.S. citizen, and unfortunately because of that there is no pathway to that. One of the few pathways would be getting an employment visa and we’re waiting for more details, but you still have to go through the same lottery process and the same sponsorship from your employer.”

As Barrera notes, details of who might qualify under the new program have not been laid out. Work visas could be limited in number and apportioned according to job categories.

Approximately 530,000 individuals are on DACA right now, 21,000 of them in Florida. They must reapply every two years for deportation protection and work permits, with the filing fee recently increased by $60 to $555.

But there have been reports of lengthy processing delays, and Barrera is well aware of that.

“I submitted my application already in April and I’m still waiting,” she said. “I’ve seen some people get it within two weeks, others right to the month that you are waiting to receive it. And again, you are compromising, because if you don’t get it with your employer, you risk being fired because you can’t work without authorization.”

Biden’s announcement drew plaudits from Democrats and immigrant rights groups, a far cry from the reaction after the president implemented executive actions to bar migrants who cross the Southern border from receiving asylum when the number of border encounters between ports of entry hit 2,500 per day. That move came after U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported that they have encountered more than 8 million people crossing the southwest border since 2021.

Mollifying nobody

Biden’s action seemed to mollify nobody, as Republicans criticized it as too little, too late while immigrant-rights groups said the move echoed the Trump administration’s actions on the border. A Monmouth University poll found that 40% of the public approved of the move, 27% were opposed, and 33% had no opinion.

Immigration ranks alongside inflation as top issues for voters, and Trump’s harder-line policies on immigration have been shown to be more popular in some surveys than Biden’s, and that includes among Latino voters.

In fact, an Equis poll released on Tuesday of 1,592 registered Latino voters in seven battleground states found 41% trust Trump on immigration, compared to 38% for Biden.

It’s been “disheartening” to observe the rhetoric and legislation targeting undocumented immigrants, Barrera said. A year ago, Florida lawmakers passed one of the toughest crackdowns on illegal immigration in the nation. Its provisions included requiring businesses to vet new employees’ legal status through the federal E-Verify program, which led to media reports that it was harming some Florida businesses.

“We saw it, right, with a bunch of the workforce,” Barrera said. “A lot of the construction sites were empty, so there’s that component of the economic contributions that we give. There’s a lot of agriculture and a lot of construction sites, right? Florida is being built by immigrants and, whether you have status or not, passing a law like this affects families. Whether one person [in the family] has status, they all fled the state because of the fear of the law.”

Over the years, there have been several congressional proposals to create a legal pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, but none of those efforts have come to fruition. While it’s been frustrating, Barrera said, she’s still grateful for what DACA has given her over the past decade-plus.

“It has already provided me with so many opportunities to not only live here but give back to my community, and to study and work here,” she said.

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Florida

Men’s Basketball: TCU Dominant in 105-59 Win Over Florida A&M

Published

10 mins ago

November 5, 2024

Press Room

Men’s Basketball: TCU Dominant in 105-59 Win Over Florida A&M

TCU men’s basketball started their season off with a bang. The Frogs dominated the Florida A&M Rattlers 105-59 Monday.

It is tough to find many flaws about this win. Pretty much every aspect about the Frogs was a positive.

Here are some notable stat differentials from the win:

	TCU Advertisement	Florida A&M
FG Percentage	55%	33%
3FG Percentage Advertisement	47%	24%
Total Rebounds	47	29 Advertisement
Offensive Rebounds	18	9
Blocks	3 Advertisement	0
Steals	8	3
Assists Advertisement	29	8

Understandably, they did play against subpar competition in Florida A&M, but this was a highly efficient win that will help TCU’s rankings long term.

There should rightfully be optimism for this team.

One of the biggest stories surrounding this year’s TCU team is the amount of youth on the roster.

TCU’s bench rotation includes four freshman and one true sophomore, and they all played well against the Rattlers.

Here are the five young guys’ statlines:

Vasean Allette: 20 points, 9-13 FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Jace Posey: 11 points, 3-4 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Isaiah Manning: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Micah Robinson: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

David Punch: 7 points, 3-4 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks

This youth is one of the biggest question marks for TCU this season and how they will step into these roles.

It is safe to say this is a stellar start for this group as they hope to keep these performances going.

Ernest Udeh Jr. has taken a massive step this season from last, and the additions of guards Frankie Collins and Noah Reynolds have helped this jump drastically.

Udeh Jr. tied his career-high with 13 points along with 11 rebounds for his second career double-double.

Collins and Reynolds have done a stellar job getting him the ball and running the offense a lot better than last season.

Jamie Dixon touched on this postgame, saying how it is nice for the offense to have “pass first” guards.

Jamie Dixon said Noah Reynolds and Frankie Collins are more “pass first” guards than last year.
Noted that Avery Anderson III and Jameer Nelson Jr. were more “score first” last year
— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) November 5, 2024
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These three players are probably the most important guys for the Frogs to have success this season, so establishing this connection early is extremely valuable as TCU goes deeper into their schedule.

Jamie Dixon

Jace Posey, Vasean Allette, and Frankie Collins

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Florida

Texas Longhorns vs. Florida Gators Preview

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Texas Longhorns vs. Florida Gators Preview

When the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns faced off in 1940, the Longhorns shut out the Gators 26-0. Since then, the programs have combined for a total of 1,285 wins, 34 conference titles, and seven national championships.

A lot has happened as you can tell, but finally, both teams will face off again, this time, as members of the same conference.

The Florida Gators (4-4 overall, 2-3 SEC) looked dangerous last week against the Georgia Bulldogs with backup quarterback D.J. Lagway before his untimely injury in the second quarter. The Gators were forced to turn to freshman Aidan Warner who failed to keep the Gators in the lead. Florida eventually lost 34-20.

Lagway hasn’t been ruled out for the Texas game, but if he can’t make it back in time, Warner will once again be out there for Florida which shouldn’t be particularly a tough task for the Longhorns’ defense who should have Andrew Mukuba come back after losing the defensive back to injury in the Georgia game.

But the Texas offense will have a taller task. Don’t let the score confuse you against Georgia. The Gators defense stomped on Georgia before mistakes from the offense and special teams started haunting the team. The Gators in their last two games against Kentucky and Georgia have had six interceptions, a concerning development for Texas QB Quinn Ewers who has thrown an interception in every game this year he has played in (except for Michigan) including two against Vanderbilt last game.

Texas will need running backs Jaydon Blue and Tre Wisner to have big games. The Gators’ defense has allowed more than 140 rushing yards in each of their last three games this season and ranks second to last in rushing yards allowed in the SEC at 165 yards a game.

With Texas favored to win by -21.5 points and ESPN giving Texas a 90.9% chance, it could be easy for Texas fans to write off Florida as another victory for the 7-1 Longhorns. But Florida, who hasn’t had a winning season in over three seasons, will have a chip on their shoulder and aren’t a stranger to playing top-ten opponents to their level. If you remember, Florida took Tennessee to overtime in Knoxville just a couple of weeks ago. And if Florida plays Texas like they played Georgia, with Lagway or not, then Texas could be in trouble.

But Texas is hungry to prove themselves as a top team in the nation again. A big statement win could be just that.

2024 record: 4-4, 2-3 in the SEC

Head Coach: Billy Napier

Passing: QB D.J. Lagway

2024 stats: 56 for 92 for 1,071. Six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Rushing: RB Montrell Johnson Jr.

2024 stats: 70 carries for 373 yards and four touchdowns

Receiving: WR Elijhah Badger

2024 stats: 24 catches for 560 yards and two touchdowns

Tackles: DB Trikweze Bridges

2024 stats: 41 (19 solo)

Sacks: EDGE Tyreak Sapp

2024 stats: 3.5 sacks

Interceptions: DB Devin Moore

2024 stats: two interceptions, two pass deflections

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Other Texas Longhorns News:

MORE: Report: Texas Longhorns Scheduling Home-and-Home vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

MORE: Former Longhorns Coach Tom Herman Goes Viral For Post-Game Confrontation vs. USF

MORE: Texas Longhorns Injury Update vs. Florida Gators

MORE: Longhorns In The NFL: Bijan Robinson Stars Again In Falcons Win

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Florida

Gas prices in Florida fall to lowest level since January

Published

16 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Gas prices in Florida fall to lowest level since January

ORLANDO, Fla. – On the eve of the November election, Floridians are seeing some of the lowest prices at the gas pump in 2024.

According to AAA, the state average for regular gas dropped 13 cents per gallon last week. On Monday, the state average reached $3.01 per gallon, nearly 20 cents below where the average price was this time of year in 2023.

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“Florida gas prices are at their lowest levels since January 2024,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA. “Over the weekend, more than 60% of Florida filling stations had gas prices below $3 a gallon. There’s a good chance the state average dips below $3 a gallon in the coming days.”

In Orlando, the current gas price average fell to $2.98 a gallon.

Florida’s current average is almost 10 cents lower than the national average of $3.10 per gallon.

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