Immigrants

Many Venezuelan immigrants are shunning Florida and turning instead to communities in places like Utah. That's according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data on migrants crossing the border from 2018 to 2025. These areas promise better jobs, cheaper homes, less traffic and higher quality of life. Utah's southern suburbs became a top destination for Venezuelans. The state is known as relatively immigrant-friendly despite Republican roots and support for President Donald Trump. Venezuelans also settled in parts of the Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston metro areas. Some went to Madison, Wisconsin; Albuquerque, New Mexico; or Savannah, Georgia.

In just two weeks, several categories of lawfully present immigrants will no longer be eligible for health care coverage.

A report issued Friday said that inspectors making an unannounced inspection of the site near Ochopee in January found that detention center staff could not clearly identify which detention standards they used for holding detainees on immigration-related charges. There were also concerns over small metal cages used for confinement at the site.

State lawmakers received an accounting less than an hour before a budget meeting to decide whether to hand over more tax dollars.

At a meeting at FGCU, Florida Board of Governors bars undocumented students from state's public universities by a vote on an amendment to admissions regulations.

A pair of private, for-profit companies involved in the controversial operations and medical care at Alligator Alcatraz are positioning themselves as potential contractors for at least five new adult detention facilities sought by the Florida Highway Patrol.

A day after a protest rally in Fort Myers decried the alleged housing of immigration and customs enforcement agents at area hotels, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of an undocumented immigrant who allegedly assaulted an ICE agent in Fort Myers Aug. 19.

Across Florida, law enforcement officers have been asked to gather names, photographs, addresses and other personal information about people they suspect may be in the country without authorization and upload them to a centralized surveillance database during the course of their routine job duties.

Undocumented students wouldn’t be admitted to the state’s public universities under a proposal reviewed by the State University System Board of Governors on Thursday.

As we approach the country’s 250th anniversary, immigration is top of mind for many people — including Naples artist Mally Khorasantchi. Her large abstract compositions are a personal reaction to something that’s happened to her.