What to Know
- In the ad, a young woman is walking through a neighborhood when she is shot by a man who the narrator calls an “illegal immigrant."
- Corcoran, who represents a district just north of Tampa, later says some politicians want to make Florida a “sanctuary state.”
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran has ignited more debate over the immigration issue and so called “sanctuary cities” with a controversial new ad by a political action committee created for a possible run for Governor.
In the ad, a young woman is walking through a neighborhood when she is shot by a man who the narrator calls an “illegal immigrant that should’ve been deported.” Corcoran, who represents a district just north of Tampa and has been House Speaker in 2016, later says some politicians want to make Florida a “sanctuary state.”
The Miami Herald reports that the committee, Watchdog PAC, has spent almost $100,000 to run the 30 second spot in North and Central Florida.
Corcoran, who would be the latest Republican candidate for governor if he does enter the race, has been a renowned critic of illegal immigration. He recently pushed a bill through the chamber that would prohibit cities that restrict law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws – carrying punishments for officials that include fines and removal from office.
The bill still must go through the Florida Senate, where it faces a tougher challenge, before Governor Rick Scott could sign it into law.
"This ad is very lamentable. It’s obviously a racist add meant to fuel xenophobia," said Melissa Taveras, with the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "The elected officials that are pushing to remove Florida from sanctuary status are using lies to justify removing the state from sanctuary status."
Corcoran defended the ad on Tuesday.
"What’s the fundamental first thing that government should do for its people and that’s protect them. And so what the ad is depicting is that when you have elected officials who are engaging in allowing criminal, illegal immigrants to be in sanctuaries that threaten American citizens that’s unacceptable," he said.
The issue of sanctuary cities has been a hot topic since the Trump administration made it a central issue shortly after taking office. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who initially indicated he would not turn over any suspected undocumented immigrants who are arrested by police, reversed his stance early last year – a move that was met with criticism from politicians and residents in the area.
