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School and labor activists protest on behalf of Illegal immigrants

Bay News 9 – May 1, 2011

Florida farm-workers are mobilizing from Miami to Apopka to Tallahassee to protest against Senate Bill 2040.

Farm workers and activist marched in Apopka Sunday asking people to call their elected state officials and ask them to vote against SB-2040. They say it’s a copy of the controversial Arizona immigration law. The Florida bill looks to do away with the hiring of illegal immigrants. But labor activist say the issue with this bill goes beyond illegal immigration. They say Floridas’ citrus economy depends on these workers.

“The workers that are here now are really doing a service for the state or this country because they are working here on jobs that normally or typically nobody else wants to do,” said labor activist, Fernando Cuevas.

For Orange County School Board member Kat Gordon, it’s an issue of human rights.

“Just like the African Americans, the farm-workers have been fighting this fight for years,” Gordon said.

Hundreds of farm workers and activist are in Tallahassee to protest the bill, slated to hit the senate floor this week.

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