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Customs And Border Patrol Transportation Checks, Florida Tax Refunds & Venezuelan Ballet Dancers

BRIAN TIETZ
/
Miami Herald
A Greyhound Bus Station.

In recent weeks, Customs and Border Patrol officials in Broward and Miami-Dade counties have been visiting Greyhound bus terminals and asking riders to show their immigration papers. This practice referred to as “transportation checks,” or the act of asking commuters for proof of their legal status, has ramped up in recent years as part of President Trump’s strict immigration strategy. The Miami Herald’s Monique O. Madan has been reporting on the story and joined Sundial for an update.

More than $500 million in tax refunds is expected to be distributed to some of Florida’s largest corporations, including Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, Comcast Corp. and the Walt Disney Co. That is five times more than state funding for school safety and 10 times more than what the state spent on fighting the opioid crisis. The refunds come as major changes made in federal tax law by the Trump administration in 2018. Jason Garcia, a reporter for the Sun Sentinel joined Sundial to explain what led to recent changes on the state level to allowed for such massive refunds. 

As the political crisis in Venezuela intensifies, many political asylum seekers continue to make their way to South Florida. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives attempted to fast-track a bill that would have granted Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to Venezuelans, but the bill is currently at a halt. Ballet dancer Maylen Rodriguez, 18, escaped Venezuela with her family three years ago. She is now a dancer and student teacher at Arts Ballet Theatre, a North Miami Beach company that gives many displaced dancers scholarships and opportunities to build a career in dance. Rodriguez and Ruby Romero-Issaev, the executive director of the company joined Sundial to talk about their experience and how the theater has been a safe haven for many Venezuelan dancers.

Chris knew he wanted to work in public radio beginning in middle school, as WHYY played in his car rides to and from school in New Jersey. He’s freelanced for All Things Considered and was a desk associate for CBS Radio News in New York City. Most recently, he was producing for Capital Public Radio’s Insight booking guests, conducting research and leading special projects at Sacramento’s NPR affiliate.