>>Thi week on NewsNight, Governor DeSantis signs legislatio aimed at tightening immigration enforcement in Florid and assisting the Trump administratio with its deportation plans.

Plus uncertainty for Florida' Venezuelan population.

>>We were shocked when we woke up in the mornin and we saw the news that TPS was about to be revoked.

>>NewsNight starts now.

[MUSIC] Hello, I'm Steve Mort, welcome to NewsNight where we take an in-depth look at the top storie and issues in Central Florida and how they shap our community.

First, tonight, the Trump administration's decision to rescind protections against deportation for Venezuelans in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security recently terminated an extension to Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans designated in 2023 amid instability in their home country.

Without any other immigration avenue, those TPS recipients face an April 2nd deadline to leave.

The Trump administration must decide whether to extend a separate 2021 TPS designation for Venezuelans set to expire in September.

Krystel Knowles has been gathering reaction from the Central Florida Venezuelan community, including a Rollins College student she spoke with last month whose TPS is set to expire.

>>When we met Daniella last mont she was pursuing her dream of playing violin in an orchestra.

She doesn't want us to use her last name.

What if they put all of us like criminals?

I know is criminals, and I know they have to do justice with criminals And that's perfectly fine.

That' how our country should work.

But what do you have?

Why do you have to put everybody in a budget.

That is really cruel and unfair.

They just say we're all criminals.

We shouldn't have this.

And saying that my country, it's good.

It's totally not true.

That is not true.

My country is not good.

We wouldn't be here if my country was good.

>>Across town, members of the Venezuelan community gathered last weekend for an informational session organized by lawyers and paralegals to help people decid what their next move should be.

Gabriel Ceballo arrived on a tourist visa and later secured approval for TPS.

>>I'm grateful to be her because, you know, me and my famil are able to achieve, you know, a few things her that was impossible to to achieve in our country.

>>Casa de Venezuela founder William Diaz says many Venezuelans rallied behind Donald Trump.

Now, thousands in central Florida face potential deportation.

He says although many couldn't vote because they're not U.S. citizens, they knocked on doors and campaigned for him.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] >>Because Trump presente himself as a strong male figure.

People believin he was going to solve the problem of Venezuela.

They were thinking that strong me are the solutions for countries.

>>TP recipient Rhonald Virguez says he's disappointed in the Trump administration's decision.

>>I feel worry, for m and my family, because we thought they're goin to be different when we go.

We have a lot of hope in him and his administration, because we were hearing about him going to fight against to the government in Venezuela.

>>This week, a bipartisan group of members of Congress from Florida reintroduced the Venezuelan Adjustment Act to give permanent residency to Venezuelans who meet certain criteria.

Ceballo says he's refusing to give up hope.

>>To allow us to act together.

You know, a path we that we can follow to to be a citizen here in the US.

>>With time running out Daniella is not giving up hope that the government will allow her to stay in the U.S. beyond September.

>>The federal governmen also ended humanitarian parole for Venezuelans as well as Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans in the US.

All in all, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans could face potential deportation, including a large number in Central Florida.

The Trump administration's decision to end TPS protections for some recipients is being welcomed by those who favor more restrictions on immigration.

I spoke this week with Mark Krikorian from the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that advocate for lower levels of immigration.

>>They should be returned.

I mean, that's the whole point.

In other words, they shouldn't be give this quasi amnesty to stay.

The very shor term, very temporary, need.

For instance, if the airport is closed, if, that kind of thing the government doesn't have the ability at all to even receive people being taken back.

We - ICE has the authority to just stop deporting people for two weeks or four weeks, six weeks, and then look, you know, take a look at it and see what else they need to do.

But if the ability to return people home exists, then people should be returned home and not given work permits and social security numbers.

And the interesting thing i that there are people with TPS from countries where we routinely deport people who don't have TPS.

Well, then what's the excus for the people who do have TPS?

There's no rationale for it.

It's literally just one mor way of a sort of a camel's nose under the tent of getting people who are illegal immigrants just that much more legalized, as it were.

And, there's no excuse for that.

Some of these people presumably have asylum applications in the works, bu most of them are not political, you know, actors, they're just regular people.

And, you know, the economy's terrible there.

And the government stinks.

Yeah, I get it.

That's the way it is when you elect Communist.

The fact is, though, that they're not political.

They're not being persecuted for political activity or, you know, religious belief or racial reasons, that kind of thing.

They're people who live in an unfortunate country who don't want to live there anymore, and I sympathize, but that's not.

You don't get to move here just because you don't like where you live.

>>Mark Krikorian from the Center for Immigration Studies.

Well, let's bring in our panel now to break it all down.

And joining us in the studio this week, Talia Blake from Central Florid Public Media does the mornings at Central Florid Public Media feels like a while since we've-- >>It has been, but I'm glad to be back.

>>Thanks for coming in.

Appreciate it.

Skyler Swisher from the Orland Sentinel writes about politics, among other things, for the Sentinel.

Good to see you, Skyler.

>>Thanks for having me.

>>Appreciate it.

And Massiel Leyva coming back to us from Spectrum News 13.

Good to see you, Massiel.

>>Thank you for having me.

>>Thanks so much, guys, for coming in.

Massiel let me start with you.

You've been gathered there gathering reaction from the Venezuelan community in Central Florida as well.

How are those changes to TPS being received from your reporting?

>>Well, Steve, through our reporting, we have seen that the Venezuelan community is, worried.

They're concerned.

They're also angry about this change.

They are one of the larges communities that benefit from TPS.

So they are right now feeling, a feeling of uncertainty about the future of what could happen to them.

After the Trump administration decided not to extend TPS.

So they have some hope that some legislature can you know, come to change that.

>>This was a specific TPS designation, right, that we're talking about.

The Trump administration has made a decision on so far from 2023.

>>Yes.

>>And that that will now expire in April.

Is that correct?

>>Correct.

Yes.

So it's going to expire so they will no longer have that protection.

>>Talia, the Florida GOP had made deep inroads, into the Venezuelan community.

I wonder what Venezuelans who supported Donald Trump have been saying here.

Has there been much pushbac like we saw in Krystel's piece?

Yeah, I mean, absolutely kind of in line with what she was saying.

They're feeling really disappointed and really hurt right now, kind of feeling like the rug has been pulled out from underneath them.

You know, they were kind of told some promise during the campaign that documented peopl are going to be protected.

That this is something that they wouldn't have to worry about, and they're kind of feeling like they've been abandoned.

They've been used throughout the campaign.

So yeah.

>>Interesting.

I mean, the politics here kind of are quite interesting, aren't they?

In Florida, Republican leaders such as Marco Rubio now the US secretary of state, have long advocated for for TPS, for Venezuelans.

How has the Trump administration's move, do you think, being viewed by the GOP in Florida?

I mean, do they think circumstances have changed?

>>Well, they're definitely walking a tightrope.

Because, as has been mentioned they've courted this community quite aggressively.

And they need to appear to b in lockstep with President Trump on his immigration agenda.

But at the same time, you know there have been some leaders, as Senator Scott, mentioned this three South Florida members of Republican members of Congress saying we need to extend these protections but perhaps do better vetting.

So there has been some, you know, encouragement for the Trump administration to kind of rethink its stance on this.

>>I mean, of course, some are saying the Biden administration has has abused that process and that situation on the ground has changed.

>>Exactly.

Yes.

Senator Scott said he feels like the Biden administration has abused the TPS program.

Governor DeSantis actually came ou and defended, Trump's actions.

>>There was a bipartisan move by members of Congress, from Florida this week, right Massiel, to to reintroduce the Venezuelan Adjustment Ac just tell us what that would do.

>>Yes.

So this bill is proposing to have a legal path.

So, many people who benefit from TPS would have that line to become, lawfully admitted, permanent resident or LPR.

They will have to meet some kind of-- >>That means green card.

>>Yes, it's a green card.

Basically the residency they will have to meet some criteria.

One of their criteria is that they had to arrive to the US on or before December 31st, 2021.

>>Venezuela, of course, is just one country, right?

That has, TPS.

I think there are 17 other countries whose nationals can get a temporary protected status.

Is there a concern, Talia among other communities, that their status could be rescinded?

I think, your outlet has done some reporting on.

>>Yeah, absolutely.

We've actually done some reporting.

The Haitian community here in central-- >>Which is substantial right?

>>Huge.

We have about the second biggest population here in Central Florida, 40,000, I believe are more than 40,000.

There's been a lot of concern there that their TPS status could be rescinded.

There been some local community members and local business leaders and lawyers who've been holding Know Your Rights sessions, kind of just, you know, trying to, as they say, replace fear with knowledge, letting people know.

Here' what you need to know right now, because currently Haitians still do have TPS in those, 16 other countries that you were talking about earlier.

But there is a lot of fear there and a lot of uncertainty.

And people are scared.

>>You know, one of the things I find quite interesting about this whole Venezuelan immigration question is the parallels with the Cuban community in Florida.

Many in that communit see themselves in a very similar way to to Cubans, right, as exiles in this country.

>>Yes, absolutely.

We can draw some similarities there.

We have people who, flee Venezuela and Cuba, both for the same reason.

We have a government that, you know, doesn't have the freedoms that the president of those countries want to have they also come here looking for opportunities.

They want to, have an education.

They have they want to have like a better chance and, you know, building the life that they want, that they cannot do that necessarily in their countries as well.

>>They see themselves as exiles in that way.

>>They do, they do, they absolutely do.

So they kind of side a little bit more with the Republican Party, rather than with the Democratic Party.

>>In history that's that's been the case with the Cuban community right over its makes them a very important voting bloc.

>>Absolutely.

It's, almost a monolithic bloc in that sense, specially in the South Florida community, that has for many years voted Republican.

>>Yeah.

Well it's a very interesting subject, and we'll certainly keep an eye on it.

Here on the program you can find a link to the U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services TPS information page on our website wucf.org/newsnight.

Meanwhile, be sure to find us o social media we're at WUCF TV on Facebook and Instagram.

You'll also find us @NewsNightWUCF on X.

All right, next tonight.

Governor DeSantis signed into law last week legislation aimed at aligning Florida with President Trump's immigration policies.

The legislation carries a $285 million price tag, most of which will go in grants to local law enforcement to help in suppor of federal immigration agencies.

Creates a state board of Immigration Enforcement, made up of governor DeSantis and members of the cabinet, and an advisory council made u of sheriffs and police chiefs.

The legislation makes it a state crime for someone in the US illegally to enter Florida, and ramps up penalties for offenses carried out by undocumented migrants.

The Immigration Enforcement Board met this week for the first time.

>>We're ahead of the curve of any other state her in Florida because of the action that we've taken.

So we're proud o the legislation that we signed.

We didn't feel lik we could just wait many months, to be able to just do that.

We had to come right out of the gate as soon as the president was inaugurated.

And us get into the game and make sur that we were postured for that.

>>But it all followed a feu between DeSantis and GOP leaders in the House and Senate during the previous special session.

Democrats, including Stat Representative Fentrice Driskell accuse Republicans of not wanting to fix the immigration system, but simply trying to please the White House.

>>The Republicans in Florida want to sound tough on immigration, but they don't actually want to fix it, because if they really wanted to fix it, they'd be pushing Congress and President Donald Trump to address these issues.

This is already being litigated before the United States Supreme Court.

Texas already tried this two years ago, and we know that all these state laws are preempted to the federal government.

And so what is Florida doing but the governor trying to get headlines and trying to stoke his own ambition, and they're all trying to serve Donald Trump.

But none of this is going to actually help Florida's communities to be safer.

It sounds like tough, tough, but it is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

And it's like a drop of rain in the ocean.

>>Fentrice Driskell there.

Okay, Massiel let me start with you on this one.

I mean, what changes would you highlight from that new legislation that was passed?

>>Absolutely.

It's a package of bills and one of the biggest, changes with this is that now it makes it a new crime for people who enter the state of Florida illegally.

It also mandates death penalty for a U.S. immigrants who are here illegally and commit, capital offenses as well.

So it's a very, tough set of bills, signed by governor DeSantis.

>>I wonder how different, Skyler, this legislation was from the governor's previous proposal that were rejected by lawmakers.

>>Yeah.

there are some similarities, but there's some big differences.

So one notable one is that, governor DeSantis is not going to b the chief immigration officer.

He's going to have to share power.

Also, we all remember the migrant flights to Martha's Vineyard.

He wanted to expand that program.

He wanted $350 million in additional funding.

The legislature kind of pushed back on that.

So that any sort of deportations will have to be done with with ICE.

It can't be done unilaterally by the state of Florida.

He also wanted to go after remittances.

This is money that's sent back to home countries.

That part was excluded.

And he also wanted a provision where 10% of law enforcement would be trained to assist ICE, that that was scaled back.

So that is no longer, in this, in this legislation.

>>Well let's talk a little bit about, some of the specific of this compromise legislation.

You mentioned there the state board of Immigration Enforcement, that includes members of the cabinet that I mentioned before, and Florida's former public safety czar.

Right.

Larry Keefe is the executive director, met for the first time this week.

How is that board going to work?

I mean, what's its responsibility?

>>Yeah.

So, any sort of actions that it it makes is going to have to be done unanimously.

So you're going to have to have everybody on board.

And it also is going to have to work in consultation with the Trump Trump administration.

>>Talia, Florida's unauthorized alien transport program remains in place.

But this new legislation spells out new parameters for it, right?

How will that work?

>>Right.

So now basically, kind of like Skyler was talking about earlier, this will be all unde the direct supervision of ICE.

And then, the state will kind of have to pay back taxpayers the cost that will be occurred when they do, deport people or transfer, people through this program.

And then also it's kind of a big deal if you think about it.

Skyler mentioned earlier that DeSantis originally wanted $350 million towards this program, and legislators kind of pushed back on that.

It kind of shows that he might be losing a little bit of influence over the GOP.

Kind of just through what we saw right there with the special session, but especially with that program.

>>Yeah.

And we've talked about on the program, as expected.

And we talked about this before, Massiel, undocumented students at state colleges and universities are going to lose in-state tuition, in legislation passed in the session, the governor suggested as well that universities maybe shouldn't admit, undocumented students at all.

What reaction if you guys at Spectrum been seeing?

>>Yes, through our reporting, we have seen that this, dreamers DACA students, they're afraid they're also, not very sure about what's going to happen.

It puts out of the question for some of them actually going to college or going to the university, because our state tuition is very expensive compared to in-state tuition.

So they're hopeful as well.

They're turning their stories.

They are going to Tallahassee, to talk to, legislature and see, like if there is any solution that could come and help, change that.

>>This legislation requires as well, Skyler, a lot of cooperation, I guess, between local and federal agencies.

Local law enforcement need to share information with ICE.

The governor also signed several agreements between state agencies, and federal authorities on immigration cooperation.

What do we know about the requirements no on state and local governments at this point?

>>Yeah.

So the way that this has kind of been working for for many years, is that, you know, many, county jails have agreements with ICE to hold people suspected of being in the country illegally in custody until they can be transferred to federal immigration.

What's kind of new is that, state law enforcement agencies are signing memorandums of understanding.

So the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Highway Patrol fish, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and this is going to allow them to, interrogate and, detain people who are suspected of being in the country illegally.

Now, this is kind of opened up a bit of a debate.

You know, some people are saying, look, illegal immigration is a huge issue, and we need a force multiplier to use state and local law enforcement to assist in this endeavor.

Other people are saying, look, we have to we need buy i from the immigration community.

If there's a crime, they're going to be reluctant to come forward and report that crime.

They're going to be reluctant to be a witness to a crime if they think that they could be, detained and deported from the country.

>>Yeah.

They call this street level enforcement, right.

Massie is that something you also hear in immigrant communities when you speak with them?

Is that trust issue real, do we think?

>>Yes, absolutely.

We have seen it through our reporting.

We want to speak to sometimes some residents of Venezuela, of Cuba, and they are afraid and they don't want to go on camera.

They don't want to get involved.

We have seen some issue at local level, like different citie having some issues with utility building something very small.

And they just said we don't want to go on camera, we don't want to talk for afraid.

We really don't want to get involved.

So you're seeing that reaction as well.

I see, Talia, is that something you guys hear?

>>Yeah.

I mean, even if you think about some of the stories you're seeing or hearing right now, a lot of people are opting or choosing or asking even, can you use my middle name?

Can you not use my last name?

Can you find some way so that way I can't be pinpointed and identified because they're afraid if they speak out that they're going to get retaliated against.

>>Well, this legislation also calls for harsher penalties, right?

For for undocumented immigrants who are convicted of certain crimes, including, a mandatory death penalty that I think you mentioned Massiel for certain capital crimes that's likely to be challenged in court, right?

I mean, there are constitutional concerns.

>>Yeah, there's a big concern that people are going to get harsher penalties based on their nationality or based on where they're coming from, and that sometimes local prosecutor might be having to figure out, is this person undocumented or not documented?

So there's a lot of concern, and it's likely going to be challenging.

>>Likely to be challenged, Massiel?

>>Yes.

Absolutely.

>>Yeah.

Well we'll see how that all pans out.

Of course, the Democrats leader in the Florida Senate, meanwhile Jason Pizzo, has filed a bill for the regular session that would demand all employer in the state use E-Verify, the federal program where businesses can check if workers can be legally employed in the US.

Senator Pizzo pushed fo the move in the special session, but lawmakers declined to include the measure.

Florida's 2023 E-Verify law applies only to employers with 25 or more employees.

First let's hear from Senator Pizzo, followed by House Speaker Daniel Perez.

When asked to explain why E-Verify was not included in the special session.

>>Since we all know that the largest incentive for illegal immigrant to come the United States is earning a living.

This amendment simply says, and requires that we, if we're going to talk tough, that we're actually tough, that we go ahead and get in line with other states in the United States who have actually have an E-Verify requirement for many fewer of a threshold than we have in Florida of 25 or more employees.

If we're going to be tough on illegal immigration and we're going to stem the tide and curb the crisis, we should be honest with ourselves and require all employers in Florida to use E-Verify.

>>We've already addresse E-Verify in prior sessions.

If, if another membe were to file an E-Verify bill in the upcoming session, that' something that we would discuss.

Put it through the committee process like any other bill.

But that's that's always on the table.

>>Ar you happy with how the governor has enforced E-Verify provisions?

>>We can do better with the enforcement of E-Verify, but those are things that we're looking at currently.

>>Daniel Perez there.

Well, let's break this down a little bit.

Start with you, Skyler, on this one.

I mean, I wonder if there is pressure from the business community here not to expand those E-Verify requirements for small employers.

I mean, most I think most businesses are exempt right now, right?

>>That's right.

Yeah.

It only applies to businesses with 25 or more employees.

There hasn' been a lot of public pressure.

>>Yeah.

>>Bu you also have to consider that, I mean, Florida reall does run on immigrant labor when it comes to agricultur when it comes to tourism.

I think to, there was a story that came out about a South Florida state representative who actually had a meeting, with migrant farm worker on a previous immigration bill.

And what he said to them was quite different than some of the public comments.

And he was saying this is a scare tactic.

That this is essentially political posturing.

And we're not going after after you.

>>Yeah.

>>So, yeah I do think there's some concerns that you could go too far and perhaps adversely affect, business and agriculture in Florida and of course, critics of businesses to say, well, you know, you should be hiring workers legally.

You cover the economy from time to time.

Talia, what do you hear in the business?

>>Well, I mean, there's definitely pressure to not expand it.

But we also want to remember that during this last special session they didn't expand E-Verify.

They didn't even addres E-Verify.

They didn't put more mone towards it or anything like that.

So I think that's kind of telling.

But DeSantis has sai he supports expanding E-Verify.

You know, some Republican or some lawmakers, rather have come out saying, you know, we've had three special sessions.

Why haven't we talked about E-Verify?

So there's been a lot of conversation around it, but there hasn't been any movement forward.

And then just kind of like Skyler was saying, when it comes to agriculture and some of those sectors that really rely on on immigrants, they're not looking to expand this.

But if anything, they would rather it go, go, go away.

>>Yeah.

Just to add to that, you know, critics are saying, look, I mean, you're going afte undocumented, college students.

Some of whom, you know, came here when they were two years old, but yet, saying you want to remove incentives that are drawing people to the country illegally, but yet you do nothing about E-Verify.

That that was just left off the table.

So that that point has been brought up by critics.

>>And remember DeSanti I think it was back in January.

He got called out by some lawmakers for not enforcing E-Verify.

Like, how are we supposed to know where to expand it or how to expand it when we don't have any dat based on where it's been so far?

>>There has been Republican criticism of the governor on that one.

There's been a lot of Republican criticism of the governor, of course.

Skyler.

But now that special session and the special sessions are in the rearview mirror, do we think those hard feelings between the governor and Republicans in the legislature are going to continue moving forward, or it's going to be plain sailing from now on, do you think?

>>I think you're going to see more pushback just because governor DeSantis is his lame duck.

And, you know, Senator Grater says there's, you know, hurt feelings all around.

It's possible they could they could kind of rebuild those bridges.

So I guess we'll just have to see what happens there.

>>Certainly we'll have to wait and see.

Of course the regular session begins soon.

We'll talk about that next week on the program.

Meanwhile, you can find link to the immigration bills passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by the governor on our website, wucf.org/newsnight.

Well, that is all the time we have for this week.

My thanks to Talia Blake, Skyler Swisher, and Massiel Leyva.

Thank you guys so much for coming in.

Really appreciate your time today.

Before we go, we wanted t mention State Senator Geraldine Thompson, who died of complications from knee surgery at the age of 76 last week.

Also a public school teacher.

She was a trailblazer whose work leaves an indelible mark on Orlando.

Elected in 2022 to serve Florida Senate District 15, Thompson was also the first female Democrat and person of color to serve House District 44.

Thompson's family released a statement on Thursday saying her tireless work in education, healthcare and civil rights, including her leadership to establish the Well's Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando, reflected her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for future generations.