New law is pushing South Florida's indigenous Guatemalan immigrants to flee - again
WLRN 91.3 FM | By Wilkine Brutus
Published June 13, 2023 at 6:00 AM EDT
AP
Guatemalan migrants who were deported from the U.S. deplane at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Thursday, May 11, 2023. Many Guatemalans moved to Palm Beach County after fleeing poverty and ongoing violence from gangs and the government in their country.
Across the street from Lake Worth High School, dozens of immigrants sat in a dark room, bowing their heads in prayer. This isn't a church though — the group is gathered at the Guatemalan-Maya Center to learn more about SB1718, Florida's aggressive new law targeting undocumented immigrants.
Historically, many Guatemalan immigrants have come to the area. To handle the growing influx of the population, the center had recently moved to a bigger location — and so many people showed up for this town hall that they needed to use an overflow room.
After a group prayer, about 60 people — mostly Guatemalans, including indigenous Mayans — listened to a Zoom call with legal experts from Florida’s American Civil Liberties Union, who were trying to clear up misinformation about the law.
The new law sent shockwaves across various immigrant communities in South Florida. But a volunteer at the center, who asked WLRN not to use her name due to safety concerns, said it is especially frightening for her fellow Guatemalans who only speak Mayan languages.
More:
https://www.wlrn.org/immigration/2023-06-13/immigration-law-florida-indigenous-guatemala-mayan