Florida GOP releases statement on shocking tweet by Miami Herald writer

Immediate Release
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Contact: RPOF 850.222.7920

Statement by RPOF Chairman Joe Gruters

Re: Shocking tweet by Miami Herald writer

#FireFabiola #CancelMiamiHerald

“At the very moment when our state and nation are trying to come together to fight COVID-19, Miami Herald writer Fabiola Santiago issued an appalling, hate-filled tweet openly rooting for the deaths of broad numbers of Floridians who support President Trump, Gov. DeSantis and Mayor Gimenez. Santiago, a 30-year veteran of the Miami Herald, who long ago stopped pretending to be a fair and impartial journalist, does further damage to the newspaper’s fraying reputation, which has become one, long heavy dose of Trump-DeSantis attacks.

“This is far beyond the pale for civilized people. It’s time for the Miami Herald to hold Fabiola Santiago accountable and to condemn her statement.

“Gov. DeSantis has worked tirelessly, patiently and wisely to safeguard the lives of Floridians while protecting everyone’s rights. His efforts have been bold in the face of unrelenting criticism from armchair quarterbacks. Floridians are proud of Gov. DeSantis’ effective leadership.  

“I’m encouraging all reasonable-minded Floridians, who care about the lives of others — even those they disagree with — to unite in demanding that the Miami Herald take disciplinary action against Santiago, up to and including firing her.

“If you agree with us that this reprehensible conduct is unacceptable, for a supposedly professional journalist no less, take to your favorite social media platform such as Twitter and Facebook and let them know using the hashtags #FireFabiola #CancelMiamiHerald.”

ICE: Inspection of employment records reveals Texas construction company knowingly employed 43 illegal aliens

Perhaps the Texas Legislature should pass an EVerify bill in their 2021 session. They could follow the lead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Joe Gruters; the chair of the Republican Party of Florida.

Earlier today, January 28 and in the aftermath of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' direction to the Florida Lege, Florida Politics reports the Republican Party of Florida Executive Committee passed a formal resolution last night rallying behind the Governor's call for passage of an EVerify bill this session.

Why does Florida --any state for that matter---need a safe and legal workforce?

County Examiner has written numerous articles: 

• the fake father who forced a 12 year old boy to work in agriculture fields in Palm Beach County, 
• the Stuart, Florida company whose officers were sentenced for knowingly hiring 92 illegal aliens, and 
• the Fort Lauderdale-area illegal alien charged in Broward County with the hit-and-run death of a Canadian snowbird while operating a forklift at a construction site without a license required by OSHA.

So here comes a news release published by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where five North Texas businessmen agreed to pay the U.S. Government $3 million for their role in a scheme to employ illegal aliens.

DALLAS – A North Texas construction company will pay the U.S. government $3 million for its role in a scheme to illegally employ illegal aliens.

This agreement was reached following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Five individuals have already pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme.

In a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Speed Fab Crete, a Texas-based builder, admitted it illegally employed individuals not authorized to work in the United States, and agreed to forfeit $3 million to the U.S. Treasury for use in promoting law enforcement activities related to immigration enforcement.

According to the agreement, which requires Speed Fab Crete to cooperate with the government to ensure it will not violate immigration laws in the future, the company pledged to continue to use E-Verify, the federal government’s web-based employment eligibility verification system; to comply with new internal verification procedures; to conduct company-wide training on immigration compliance; and to discipline those who attempt to employ unauthorized workers.

The company’s three owners, Carl Eugene Hall, Ronald Alan Hamm, and David Leon Bloxom, are jointly and severally liable for the full amount if Speed Fab Crete does not fulfill its financial obligations under the non-prosecution agreement.

You can read the rest here.

Federal law requires employers hire only U.S. citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in the country and its a darn shame Florida Senate President Bill Galvano continues to stubbornly resist an EVerify bill that would codify into state law that which is already federal law---verify all new employees at all Florida businesses---in the hopes of thwarting labor trafficking schemes among employers who thumb their nose at our Rule of Law.