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Central Florida Congressman, local leaders speak out against immigration and funding orders

State Rep. Jose Alvarez (left) and U.S. Congressman Darren Soto (right) at a conference outside of Soto's office in Kissimmee. Soto has been a staunch c
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
Central Florida Public Media
State Rep. Jose Alvarez (left) and U.S. Congressman Darren Soto (right) at a conference outside of Soto's office in Kissimmee. Soto has been a staunch critic of President Donald Trump's moves, including the Laken Riley Act, which is the first law signed during his second term in office.

Central Florida community leaders and U.S. Congressman Darren Soto, a Democrat, gathered in Kissimmee Friday morning to rebuke Republican President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and the currently rescinded federal funding freeze.

Some of President Trump’s orders call for the removal of people in the United States without legal status and revoke birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens as a way to combat undocumented immigration.

At the forefront of the group’s condemnation of the federal policies was the presidential administration’s revocation of a Temporary Protection Status (TPS) extension. The extension, which would have lasted until October 2026 and affects more than 500,000 Venezuelans in the United States, came in the twilight of former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Soto said he stands with Venezuelans who are in the country through TPS and presented a letter he jointly signed with other members of Congress that seeks an explanation on the decision.

“They are members of local families, and we will stand with them,” he said.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area has the second largest population of Venezuelans in the United States, according to 2021 U.S. Census data. It’s second only to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area.

Soto was joined by other leaders like Democratic State Rep. Johanna López, who shared his concerns. “It is an unjust and unnecessary attack on families who contribute daily to our communities,” she said.

López then brought the Florida Legislature’s TRUMP Act to the table. The immigration bill was signed during a special session of the Legislature on Tuesday. One part of the bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to veto, repeals a law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.

The tuition law was originally signed by Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott when he served as Florida’s governor.

Republican State Sen. Randy Fine, who represents Brevard County and will be on the ballot in an April special election to replace National Security Advisor Michael Waltz’s Congressional seat, is a staunch critic of in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.

“I’m not interested in giving illegal immigrants a discount on our colleges and universities,” Fine said in the Florida Legislature.

Democrats like Soto and López, some Florida Republicans and Gov. DeSantis called on constituents to let representatives know how they feel on the matter.

Cecilia Gonzalez is a Venezuelan TPS recipient who utilized in-state tuition to attend the University of Central Florida. She said the Trump administration’s actions could have dangerous consequences for families who have left the South American country.

“TPS offers safety and the ability to thrive. It is not a handout,” she said.

Soto and other Central Florida leaders also condemned the Trump administration’s now-rescinded federal grant pause. Representatives from Hope Partnership, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans joined him.

Friday afternoon, a second federal judge ordered a pause on the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze funding.

Luis-Alfredo Garcia is Central Florida Public Media’s inaugural Emerging Journalist Fellow.
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