Florida

Treasury probing Florida Gov. DeSantis’ migrant flights

Published

2 years ago

October 13, 2022

Treasury probing Florida Gov. DeSantis’ migrant flights

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Division’s inside watchdog is investigating whether or not Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis improperly used federal pandemic help to fly migrants to Martha’s Winery as a part of his effort to “transport unlawful immigrants to sanctuary locations.”

At situation is whether or not thousands and thousands of {dollars} in curiosity earned on State and Native Fiscal Restoration Funds, disbursed by means of the American Rescue Plan, was used to facilitate the transport of about 50 Venezuelans from Texas to Massachusetts in mid-September, with a stopover in Florida on the best way.

The restoration funds program has strict necessities on how the cash might be spent. Paperwork point out Florida officers paid Destin, Fla.-based Vertol Methods Co. $1.56 million for the Martha’s Winery flight and presumably for a flight to Delaware, the house state of President Joe Biden, that finally didn’t occur.

The inspector basic’s workplace has audit work deliberate on “recipients’ compliance with eligible use steerage,” Treasury Deputy Inspector Common Richard Ok. Delmar mentioned in a letter addressed to Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who requested the investigation.

“We plan to get this work underway as rapidly as doable, in step with assembly our different oversight mandates and priorities,” the letter mentioned. Treasury doesn’t have a confirmed inspector basic.

Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for DeSantis, mentioned Wednesday that Florida’s Workplace of Coverage and Funds had “articulated to Treasury’s OIG that our use of this curiosity, as appropriated by the Florida Legislature, is permissible.”

“Opinions by Treasury are typical and, as said by the OIG, are ‘a part of its oversight duties,’” Fenske mentioned.

Markey wrote to the inspector basic’s workplace in September, shortly after DeSantis organized the journey, which acquired huge publicity. The Florida governor mentioned the migrants traveled voluntarily to Massachusetts.

“Using federal COVID aid funds on this method runs opposite to congressional intent and seems to violate federal regulation,” Markey and 6 different Massachusetts lawmakers wrote in a Sept. 17 letter to Delmar. Markey mentioned DeSantis was “successfully utilizing COVID-19 aid to attain political factors by exploiting weak immigrants.”

The White Home has known as the journey to Martha’s Winery a “merciless, premeditated political stunt.”

Delmar didn’t point out when the probe could be full. Different regulation enforcement businesses all through the U.S. have additionally launched investigations of migrant journeys organized by Republican lawmakers to Democratic strongholds.

The flight has additionally spawned an investigation by a Texas sheriff and two lawsuits. The Treasury Division referred inquiries to the inspector basic’s workplace, which didn’t reply to a request for remark.

___

Related Press reporter Curt Anderson contributed to this report.

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Florida

Police continuing search for missing Florida man

Published

3 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Police continuing search for missing Florida man

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Police said they are continuing to search for a Florida man who went missing Tuesday.

The Ocoee Police Department said the man is 46-year-old Juan Manuel Leon.

Officials reported Leon’s family said he had been acting strangely and had not been home since Monday.

Police said Juan Leon has been missing since Tuesday. (Credit: Ocoee Police Department)

Where is Juan Manuel Leon?

The backstory:

Police said Leon last was seen Jan. 14 by officers on White Road in Ocoee.

Leon’s family reported him missing Jan. 17 from Hammocks Drive, records show.

What we know:

Officials reported Leon last was seen wearing a gray hoodie, black sweatpants, black and white shoes, and carrying a black backpack.

Leon has brown eyes and black hair, which officers said may be in braids.

Police said Leon is about 5 feet and 7 inches and weighs about 140 pounds.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on Leon’s location is asked to contact Detective Justin Hutchinson at jhutchinson@ocoee.org or (407) 905-3160.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Ocoee Police Department.

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Florida

Concerns rise in Florida as Trump, DeSantis plan immigration policy shifts

Published

10 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

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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