The Florida Immigrant Coalition, along with several other immigrant advocates nationwide, warns that the Trump administration鈥檚 national registry for undocumented immigrants will lead to racial profiling.
鈥淲e know historically that racial profiling has nothing but negative impacts on communities,鈥� said Tessa Petit, executive director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition during a virtual news conference on Tuesday.
鈥淧eople are already afraid to report crimes, go to work and send their children to school,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow much more isolated should they become?鈥�
A federal judge last week allowed to move forward with a requirement that everyone in the U.S. illegally must and carry documentation.
Judge Trevor Neil McFadden 鈥� a Trump appointee 鈥� sided with the administration, which had argued that officials were simply enforcing a requirement that already existed for everyone who is in the country but isn鈥檛 an American citizen.
READ MORE: Judge allows requirement that everyone in the US illegally must register to move forward
McFadden's ruling didn't go into the substance of those arguments but rested largely on the technical issue of whether the groups pushing to stop the requirement had standing to pursue their claims. He ruled they didn't. The requirement went into effect last Friday, April 11.
Immediately after the judge鈥檚 ruling, officials emphasized in a news release that the deadline to register for those who've already been in the country for 30 days or more was Friday and that going forward, the registration requirement would be enforced to the fullest.
鈥淧resident Trump and I have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream,鈥� Secretary Kristi Noem said in the statement. 鈥淭he Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws 鈥� we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.鈥�
