Bonita Businesses Face Labor Shortage

FOR JOINING US. SOME BUSINESS OWNERS SAY THE FALLOUT FROM IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENT RAIDS IS HURTING BUSINESSES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED BY UCLA SAYS THE RISE IN IMMIGRATION ARRESTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAVE LED TO LABOR SHORTAGES, REDUCED CUSTOMER SPENDING AND FINANCIAL STRUGGLES FOR BUSINESSES. THE SAME SITUATION IS HAPPENING IN BONITA SPRINGS TO BUILD SUPPORT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. HELP HAS COME FROM THE BLUE GATOR INITIATIVE. THEY'RE AN ORGANIZATION LISTED AS AN ALLIED GROUP FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF LEE COUNTY. IT HAS ESTABLISHED A GROWING NETWORK TO HELP BUSINESSES STRUGGLING AFTER THEIR WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMER BASE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. WGCUS YOUN JOO PARK ATTENDED A RECENT GATHERING TO LEARN MORE. YEAH, WE'RE IN DOWNTOWN BONITA SPRINGS. CROWDS WERE PACKED INTO A DINING. >> ON A SUMMER, WE CLEAN IT UP AND NOT ONE PARKING SPACE COULD BE FOUND AT HE COULDN'T DO RESTAURANT PATRONS SAY THE PURPOSE OF THE GATHERING WAS A FORM OF PROTEST THROUGH MEALS, MAKING A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO EAT AT HISPANIC RESTAURANT IS THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE TO I STATEMENTS ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE GATORS INITIATIVE, THIS MATT, WE'RE PARENTS, WE ARE GRANDPARENTS WE ARE COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE. THE STORIES OF THE COOKS THAT USED TO WORK HERE AND ARE GONE OR YOU THE STORIES OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY USED TO HAVE THAT ARE NO MORE. WE JUST RELATE TO THAT FAMILY LOVE. AND SO WE JUST ARE HERE. NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR >> ACCORDING TO RESEARCH FROM THE LATINO POLICY AND POLITICS INSTITUTE, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES SINCE LAST YEAR HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CUSTOMERS FOR HISPANIC BUSINESSES. THE DING TO THEIR FINANCIAL DECLINES TO COUNTER THESE EFFECTS. MATT SAYS THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE MORAL SUPPORT IN FINANCIAL HELP TO HISPANIC BUSINESSES BY MAKING VISITS TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESTAURANTS. >> THESE RESTAURANTS HERE IN BONITA SPRINGS DIDN'T NEED WHY CUSTOMERS UNTIL 18 MONTHS AGO. THEY SERVED THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. IT'S THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT WENT AWAY. NOT US. WE WERE NOT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO FILL IN THAT GAP FOR THEM. SO ABOUT SO ABOUT TRYING TO HELP THEM STAY ALIVE AS BUSINESSES. >> THE RESTAURANT'S OWNER, VANESSA, I ALA SAYS HER BUSINESS IS NOT USED TO THIS MANY CUSTOMERS. SO SHE JUMPED IN TO WORK HELPING THE 2 SERVERS PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO BUSINESSES IS ONE WAY THAT RESIDENTS OFFERING COURAGE MEANT TO THE LATINO COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, ANOTHER WAY OF HELPING AS COLLECTING DONATION ITEMS FOR FAMILIES, THE SOLANGE ARRIVED WITH HER ARMS FULL OF PROVISIONS. I HAVE DIAPERS AND I'M GOING TO BE DROPPING OFF A FOR FAMILIES WHO >> HAVE HAD THE RED WINNERS IN THEIR HOUSE. >> I TAPE IT ARE MISMATCHED GIVES AN IDEA OF WHAT WAS DROPPED OFF. THERE ARE 2 CARS FALL TODAY. OF DIAPERS, FOOD. >> SHE SAYS THESE ESSENTIALS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILIES BY A SISTER GROUP CALLED THE VOICES OF BONITA. AFTER THE GROUP LEFT IN THE PARKING LOT WAS ALMOST EMPTY. I ALSO POSTED A VIDEO TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONVEY HER GRATITUDE. >> HEY, GUYS, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE. THEY CAME OUT. >> WE HAD A GREAT TIME. EVERYONE ENJOY THE FOOD. >> A MOMENT TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW ANY TIME. WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, MATT. >> THAT SENTIMENT WAS RETURNED BY PEOPLE LIKE MOIRA DANNA, A MEMBER OF THE BLUE GATOR INITIATIVE TO HELP. BUT ALSO. WITH OUR HEARTS. >> FOR WGCU NEWS. IM YOUN JOO PARK. >> FOR MORE ON THE IMPACT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS HAVING ON BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES. I AM JOINED BY SUITE ON THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE, WHICH IS A NONPARTISAN, NONPROFIT LAW FIRM BASED IN MIAMI. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. >> IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, SOME OWNERS OF MIGRANT BUSINESSES OFTEN REPORT THE PRESENCE OF ICE AGENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND HOW THAT HAS GREATLY HURT THEIR CUSTOMER BASES. WHAT HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION SEEN IN TERMS OF MIGRANT LEAD COMMUNITIES BEING IMPACTED BY EFFORTS BY ICE? >> THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE AND FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO RECOGNIZE THAT FLORIDA IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE NATION. WE HAVE THE MOST 2.87 G AGREEMENTS AND WHAT IS 2.87 G THOSE? OUR COOPERATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ICE. SO ALL 67 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAVE AGREED TO ESSENTIALLY SERVE AS I SAW OFFICERS. SO WHEN WE SEE THE REPORTS ON THE NEWS ON NATIONAL NEWS, WE SEE A LOT PERTAINING TO MINNEAPOLIS BC CHICAGO. WE SEE DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING ACROSS THE NATION. NOT SO MUCH FOCUS ON FLORIDA YET WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN TERMS OF THEIR ARRESTS. AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE CALL SILENT RATES HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE OF THIS ENTANGLEMENT BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IMMIGRATION. >> THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ISSUES WITH FAMILIES BEING SEPARATED. ARE THERE ANY LEGAL EFFORTS THAT FAMILIES CAN TAKE IF SOMEONE A LOVED ONE IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY DURING AN ICE RAID? SO IT'S VERY >> COMPLICATED. EVERY CASE IS INDIVIDUAL AND I WANT TO STATE THAT WE HAVE SEEN A 2,450% INCREASE AND NON CRIMINAL ARRESTS. SO WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WAS TOLD WAS THAT ICE ENFORCEMENT IS FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST, THE VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DANGERS TO OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. IT'S A 2,450% INCREASE AND NON CRIMINAL ARRESTS. AND WE'RE TALKING IN EXCESS OF 150,000 U.S. CITIZEN CHILDREN BEING IMPACTED MORE THAN 300% INCREASE OF MOTHERS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE U.S. CITIZEN CHILDREN AND NATIONWIDE. IT'S SOMETHING LIKE BETWEEN 70 AND 80% OF IMMIGRANTS NOT HAVING COUNCIL TO HELP NAVIGATE THE COMPLICATED LEGAL SYSTEM. >> NOW, ACCORDING TO TRAC THEY SAID NEARLY 70% OF THOSE BEING HELD IN ICE DETENTION FACILITIES HAVE NO CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS. YOU MENTIONED THIS EARLIER. WHAT GROUNDS ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES USING TO HOLD PEOPLE IN CUSTODY WHEN THERE IS NOT A CRIMINAL ALLEGATION OR CRIMINAL BACKGROUND. IMMIGRATION. >> A VIOLATION IS A CIVIL OFFENSE. NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. AND SO IN ORDER FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO ACCESS SOME SORT OF PROTECTION CAN US THEY MAY HAVE HAD AN IMMIGRATION, A CIVIL VIOLATION. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT THEREAFTER ELIGIBLE TO PURSUE THOSE FINAL MECHANISMS AND, YES, THOSE STATISTICS ON AND THOSE WHO ARE IN CUSTODY, SOMETHING LIKE 70% DO NOT HAVE CRIMINAL HISTORIES. BUT I WANT TO RESTATE LESS THAN 2% OF THE NEWLY FILED CASES ARE BASED ON SOME SORT OF CRIMINAL ALLOCATION, A CRIMINAL BASIS FOR DEPORTATION. SO THESE ARE OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE BUSINESS OWNERS AND HAVE BEEN HERE MANY, MANY YEARS WHO ARE NOW BEING SUBJECTED TO THIS ENFORCEMENT ACTION. AND THIS INCLUDES MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FLORIDA ECONOMY. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ECONOMICS AS WELL. JUST THE ECONOMICS OF HAITIAN TPS HOLDERS ALONE IN MIAMI IS 1.5 BILLION, ORLANDO, 329 MILLION, TAMPA, 125 MILLION. IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT IMPACT THAT OUR STATE'S KIND OF SUFFER. JUST LOOKING AT TPS. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MANY OTHER RICHAUN DIVERS COMMUNITIES THAT FLORIDA REPRESENT. SO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS TRULY TREMENDOUS. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT REALLY, REALLY CAREFULLY HOW ARE GOING TO PROCEED. NOT JUST WITH TPS HOLDERS, BUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT THOSE IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE NOT THREATS CONTRIBUTORS TO OUR COMMUNITIES. PARENTS AND ALSO CAREGIVERS TO ELDERLY. AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO RESOLVE AND AND PROTECT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING SO RICHLY TO FLORIDA? >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. MISS CHUNG. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE BY VISITING THE WEBSITE AI JUSTICE DOT ORG OR BY CALLING 3, 0, 5, 5, 7, 3, 1,