Advertisement

Florida Democratic governor candidates to protest Trump family separating policy in Homestead Saturday

Four of the five candidates said they'd attend a march at a facility said to be home to dozens of separated immigrant children.
 
Published June 20, 2018|Updated June 20, 2018

Four Democratic governor candidates will convene at a march in Homestead  Saturday to protest the Trump administration's controversial immigration policies, even after the policy was allegedly ended Wednesday.

After days of headlines about children as young as infants being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, Chris King, Andrew Gillum, Philip Levine and Gwen Graham agreed to march against the practice at the south Florida facility where dozens of separated children are said to be held.

Gillum announced his intention to attend the march at a news conference in Tallahassee heralding his endorsement from the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida.

"We stand against hate. We stand against divisiveness," Gillum said. "We stand against babies, kids, children being used as political pawns.

"It's despicable. It's deplorable. It's heartless. It is not who we are as a country. It is not who we are as a people," the Tallahassee mayor said, noting that he is cancelling campaign events this weekend to attend the march.

Related coverage: Nelson, Wasserman Schultz shut out of facility holding immigrant kids

Related coverage: Emotions erupt as 'zero tolerance' policy overtakes Florida politics

Graham recruited her fellow candidates to the march on Twitter.

"This issue is bigger than any of our individual campaigns and we can send a louder message to @realDonaldTrump by standing together to resist it," the former congresswoman tweeted in a message to her four opponents: King, Gillum, Levine and Jeff Greene.

Levine, the former mayor of Miami Beach, tweeted that he would put the campaign aside to stand with his opponents.

"This is bigger than any one of us," Levine tweeted.

King, an Orlando-area businessman, also said he'd attend.

Claire VanSusteren, a spokeswoman for Greene, a south Florida real estate billionaire, said she didn't know whether Greene was planning to attend. The candidate intended to file official paperwork for the race Wednesday afternoon and was in transit at the time of the inquiry, VanSusteren said.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, the Trump administration looked poised to end the family separating policy. According to news reports, the President intended to sign an executive order that would detain families together indefinitely. But the legality of such a move is sure to be questioned.

Whether the administration backs down on family separations or not, Gillum and King say they'll attend the Homestead march.

"The Mayor's going to Homestead no matter what Trump does," Geoff Burgan, a Gillum spokesman, told the Times.

"If there are still children in that facility and a march to attend, he will attend," Avery Jaffe, a King spokesman, said.