Arizona Style Immigration Bills are the Red Meat in Tallahassee

Published in the Bradenton Times: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 3:00 am

by Dennis Maley

BRADENTON – It didn’t take a genius to figure out that immigration reform would be a hot issue during the first week of the new legislative session. Such laws are low-hanging fruit, the sort of red meat that fanatics crave and whenever such issues arise you can bet that someone in public office will capitalize on the opportunity to gain the support of the lynch mob.

Elected officials in Tallahassee delivered on that red meat last week, introducing Senate Bill 1896 (appropriately tagged since it seems to have come from that era), and SB 7066. SB 1896 was introduced by Senator Bill Evers, chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, and is dubbed the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.”

The bill would prevent state or local legislation that limits implementation of federal immigration laws to the full extent and would also require law enforcement officers to determine the status of someone that presents “reasonable suspicion of a person who is an alien and unlawfully present in the United States.”

“In the midst of Florida’s crisis, our legislators insist in scapegoating immigrants instead of finding real solutions to our problems,” says María Rodriguez, Executive Director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “Attacking immigrants will cause great political theater, but it won’t create jobs or reduce Florida’s unemployment and foreclosure rates, among the highest in the country.”

SB 7066 forces local police to question the immigration status of any person arrested, even for minor offenses such as traffic violations, and turn them to ICE even if they are not convicted of any crime. Several groups have announced protests this week, including a march on Tallahassee this Thursday to denounce such profiling bills.

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Written by Chris Jaensch

Attorney P. Christopher Jaensch received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1992 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1995 from the University of Florida. While at UF, he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa Society and Florida Blue Key, the oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary in the state of Florida.

Mr. Jaensch is a member of the Florida Bar, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Sarasota Bar Association. He has served as President of the Sarasota-Manatee International Trade Club and served as Regional Vice Chair, Tampa Bay, for the Central Florida Chapter of AILA. He was a member of City of Sarasota Charter Review Committee and has been active in several local organizations, including the influential Laurel Park Neighborhood Association in downtown Sarasota.

Mr. Jaensch has over 18 years of experience in the field of immigration and nationality law and focuses his practice on four primary categories (a) investors and entrepreneurs, (b) business executives, managers and professionals, (c) amateur and professional athletes and coaches and (d) performing artists and immigrants with extraordinary ability.