Tampa spotlights the Visible Act
Tampa, FL – On an unusually windy Saturday, February 14 in front of Tampa city hall, the Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, along other groups, held a rally to shine a light on House Bill 419/Senate Bill 316, otherwise known as the Visible Act.
This weekend of action was held in coordination with other immigrant rights groups all across the state, including Tallahassee, Orlando and Jacksonville, to build support for the bill. The act, introduced in the Florida House by Representative Angie Nixon of Jacksonville, would require immigration police to show clear identification at all times, prevent them from covering their faces, and levy punishments if they violate this law.
About 50 people came out on the blustery day to show their support for this measure. The event was attended by members of the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR), Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
V Garcia, speaking on behalf of TAARPR stated, “The current lack of identification not only emboldens wrongdoing by officers, but makes it harder to hold them accountable, in a system where simple accountability is already an uphill battle.”
As the nation has seen masked ICE and CBP agents gun down immigrants and legal observers and random bystanders, such as Renee Good, Keith Porter Jr. and Silverio Gonzalez, among dozens of others killed on the streets and in detention centers, the demand from the people for accountability and justice has gotten too loud to ignore, leading to bills like this one.
Speaking on behalf of the student movement, Tourmaline Montarroyos with Tampa Bay SDS, stated, “That is why I believe we should advocate and fight for something radical, something which can be freeing to those who suffer the most, Legalization for all!”
Speakers from Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee pushed for attendees to call and email their state representatives in Tallahassee to demand they support the Visible Act. This weekend of action was only the first step in the coordination to support this bill. A statewide mobilization to Tallahassee is planned for when the bill is up for public comment is planned.