Latino

Florida mayor on housing detained migrants: ‘Bring them to the Trump hotels’

by Brooke Seipel - 05/17/19 8:27 PM ET

The mayor of a Florida city reportedly being eyed by the Trump administration to potentially house hundreds of migrants is suggesting one possible solution: sending migrants to Trump hotels.

Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen (D) floated the idea on Friday as officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties push back on the Trump administration’s plans for detained migrants.

“Bring them to the Trump hotels and ask the president to open his heart and home as well,” Bogen said, according to multiple reports.{mosads}

Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard (D) also pushed back on the plans Friday, telling CNN, “The president wants to send his problems to Palm Beach County. And that’s not fair.”

Local officials have said the federal government plans to release 1,000 migrant families per month, split between the two counties, with no apparent plans to house or feed them.

Broward and Palm Beach are Democratic strongholds in Florida and among the state’s most populous counties.

“This is a humanitarian crisis. We will do everything possible to help these people,” Bogen said Friday, according to CNN. “If the president will not provide us with financial assistance to house and feed these people, he will be creating a homeless encampment.”

The reported plan comes as the Trump administration has already started releasing some migrants in large groups to Texas cities.

Trump previously threatened to release immigrants in so-called sanctuary cities, which prevent local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities.

Clamping down on illegal immigration has been one of Trump’s focuses since he was on the 2016 campaign trail. His administration’s zero tolerance policy and crackdown on immigrants without legal status have resulted in an increase in migrants being detained by border officials.

This week, Trump unveiled his newest immigration proposal, which aims to create more “merit-based” policies.