Civil rights group warns against travel to Florida

ORLANDO, Florida – Advocacy groups have warned people against traveling to Florida because the hostile polices against African Americans and people of color championed by Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers. 

Issuing a travel advisory, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) stated that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is hostile to disadvantaged groups and devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.

The warning was approved Saturday by the NAACP’s board of directors. The travel advisory bears significance as Florida is one of the major tourism destinations and contributes to largest job sectors.

In 2019 tourism supported 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida. 

Previously, LULAC – the League of United Latin American Citizens – issued a travel warning for Florida after DeSantis signed a new immigration law that will take effect in July.

Both LULAC and the NAACP say the DeSantis administration’s actions are hostile to their communities.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said Governor DeSantis has launched relentless attacks on basic freedoms.

In a statement, Johnson said the NAACP would fight back by distributing thousands of banned books on race to communities of color across the state.

Earlier this month, DeSantis signed a bill restricting undocumented immigrants from working.

The law also ends community-funded programs that issue identity cards to undocumented immigrants.

It provides stiffer penalties for those who bring undocumented immigrants into the state.