TALLAHASSEE, FL – FWD.us Florida State Director Ted Hutchinson issued the following statement today as the Florida state legislative session opened:

“Over the past three years, FWD.us has been working to bring together Florida lawmakers, business leaders and members of the community to fight for smart reforms to our nation’s broken immigration system. We’re proud of the hard-fought progress we made in 2019 to put commonsense immigration policies at the forefront of Florida’s political landscape.

“This year, we aim to create more economic opportunity for all Floridians, including people from immigrant and refugee communities. We know that our state thrives when it supports policies that build a vibrant, inclusive and welcoming environment for immigrants of all backgrounds. One in every five Floridians is an immigrant, and this hardworking population powers major sectors of our state’s economy while creating countless American jobs.

“We believe working in a bipartisan fashion with state lawmakers, business leaders and members of the community is essential to defeating harmful, anti-immigrant policies like E-Verify, which hurts Florida’s economy and stifles innovation. At the same time, we are committed to fighting for meaningful changes that will grow the middle class and make life better for Florida families.

“Continuing our work at the state level will help us to better achieve our long term goal: comprehensive immigration reform that protects and expands existing legal immigration avenues, keeps families together, and ultimately provides an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented people, including Dreamers and people with Temporary Protected Status. FWD.us will continue to drive change at the state and federal levels to create a more prosperous future for all Floridians, regardless of immigration status.”