Tea Party organization...blasted the Sarasota City Commission...for its resolution that immigration

is a federal issue and calls for “a humane approach” to managing it.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110223/ARTICLE/110229891/2055/NEWS?Title=Illegal-immigration-likely-to-be-hot-topic-at-USF-forum

If any topic can ignite strong feelings, that topic is illegal immigration. And those sentiments are likely to rise to the surface during a forum tonight at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Former state representative Keith Fitzgerald, an associate professor of political science at New College, will moderate a panel discussion about immigration issues.

A bill filed by State Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, is sure to come up. If passed by the Legislature, the bill would empower law enforcement to ask individuals stopped for other reasons to prove they are in the country legally if the officer has a “reasonable suspicion” that the person is not. A valid driver’s license would be adequate proof.

The reaction to Bennett’s bill has varied. Latino groups consider it racial profiling that will specifically target Mexican migrants.

Tea Party organizations across Florida blasted the Sarasota City Commission for its reaction – a resolution that declares immigration to be a federal issue and calls for “a humane approach” to managing it. The groups e-mailed Mayor Kelly Kirschner with complaints that Sarasota could become “a sanctuary” for illegal aliens if Bennett’s bill passes but Sarasota police do not enforce the law.