Media Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
Over 20 Organizations Convene to unite and push back against Mass Deportations and Budget Cuts Devastate Communities
KISSIMMEE, FL – Representative Darren Soto, Hispanic Federation, and Orlando-Kissimmee leaders convened at a town hall to highlight the plight and pain being unleashed across Florida’s Latino communities due to significant funding cuts to essential programs, aggressive immigration enforcement, and many other federal policies that are ravaging Florida. Hispanic Federation’s network of community-based organizations engaged in dialogue with Representative Soto on how to best push back on these horrendous policies.
Participants in the town hall talked about:
- H.R.1’s cuts to Medicaid and ACA marketplace subsidies will result in over two million Floridians losing their insurance, nearly doubling the uninsured rate in the state to reach over four million Floridians without health insurance.
- Seventeen of the state’s 22 rural, in-patient hospitals are facing fiscal challenges and the additional cuts could lead to closures, severely limiting access in rural Florida.
- Florida’s share of Medicaid cuts are expected to lead to the loss of 33,000 jobs and the elimination of $3 billion dollars from the state’s economy.
- Some 250,000 Floridians are at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the bill’s provisions.
Over 20 nonprofit organizations joined the town hall to express their disdain over the drastic cuts that are being put forward due to the passage of H.R. 1. Participating organizations work in the community to address education, health, housing, jobs, and overall community needs, the likes of which will only become exacerbated because of the recent cuts.
In addition, Representative Soto discussed the terror that persists because of aggressive mass deportation practices that are destroying communities, separating children from parents, and crippling local economies.
“The Hispanic community is vital to Central Florida and to our entire nation. They are our neighbors, small business owners, entrepreneurs, farmworkers, hospitality workers, construction workers, and more—part of the backbone of our economy,” said Rep. Darren Soto. “Yet, the Trump Administration is persecuting innocent people, tearing families apart, driving up costs, and undermining our economy in the process. House Democrats are committed to standing up to this administration and protecting our Hispanic communities.”
“Latino voices are often ignored, but not today,” said Laudi Campo, Florida State Director for Hispanic Federation. “Leaders from our community made it very clear how federal policies are ravaging our local communities due to legislation that has demonized Latinos, horrifying policies and misguided funding priorities and the best ways to push back against the pain being caused.”
“Floridians are under siege from a devastating triple threat – mass deportation raids ripping families apart, the trampling of civil rights, and crushing budget cuts making basic survival daunting,” said Julietta López, Vice President for Federal Advocacy and Network Engagement. “I applaud the leadership of Congressional Representatives such as Representative Soto for standing up for the issues that matter most to our communities and for helping to make it clear that the concerns of the Latino community will be heard both here in Florida as well as in D.C.”
Participating organizations included: Hispanic Federation, Organization Advance Community Center, Latino Leadership, Inc., Hope Community Center, UCF PR Research Hub, Centro de Ayuda Hispana, Latin Community Health Advisors, Islamic Center of Orlando, Farmworker Association of Florida, Feed and Fortify, Help Now of Osceola, Inc., Senior Resource Alliance, 26 Health, Del Ambiente, We Speak Your Name, Observatorio Ambiental Hispano, Claritas House Outreach Ministry, La Mesa Boricua, SkyBuilders 4all, Florida Student power, Centro de Ayuda Hispana, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Voices of Silence, Casa de Venezuela, Iniciativa Accion Puertorriquena, Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.
###
ABOUT HISPANIC FEDERATION
Founded in 1990, Hispanic Federation is the nation’s premier Latino advocacy powerhouse, fighting for empowerment and advancement across 43 states and territories. From immigration to economic justice, civic engagement to disaster relief, HF leads the charge for marginalized and immigrant Latino communities nationwide.
