Florida Democratic Party Calls on Republicans to Add Stops or Cancel Farce of a Tour

Florida Democrats do the Math: Joe Gruters Immigrant Listening Tour is a farce.

After Joe Gruters, the Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, issued a press release trumpeting an Immigration Listening Tour, Florida Democrats do the math. RPOF is holding a tour in cities that are majority white and Republican — ignoring immigrant communities in Florida.

“After demonizing Florida’s Hispanic immigrant communities by pushing a divisive anti-immigrant agenda, Senator Joe Gruters has gone one step further. Instead of going into immigrant communities impacted by the nationalism and xenophobia his anti-immigrant bills have inspired — Senator Gruters is holding staged stops in cities and communities that are majority white and majority Republican,” said Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Peñalosa.

“By refusing to listen to immigrant communities and focus on cities that are primarily white and pro-Trump, this tour could do more to divide our state and continue spreading white nationalism and hate in Florida. In the aftermath of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on Hispanics in American history we are calling on Senator Gruters to add stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach which will force Republicans in Florida to actually hear from immigrant communities. If they are unwilling to do that, then cancel this farce of a tour altogether.”

Senator Gruters, the Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, is holding an immigration listening tour in the following cities: St. Petersburg, Melbourne, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Orlando, Jacksonville.

The demographics of voters in those stops is as follows: