With the obstacles for undocumented immigrants in the United States on the rise, immigration activists in Miami-Dade are trying get the county to provide residents (including the undocumented) with identification cards to alleviate the problem.

Activists from the Peruvian-American Coalition, American Fraternity and Honduran Unity, believe residential ID cards would allow for many undocumented immigrants residing in the county to feel more secure, as they fear arrest and remain in the shadows, especially since they are not even able to apply for driver’s licenses. The organization believes that the ID cards would provide more benefits than it would create problems in a county that absorbs thousands of new immigrants annually.

The ID card, according to the activists, would allow immigrants to open bank accounts, go to the doctor, and even get an Employer ID Numbers from the IRS so that they could start businesses.

However, the Miami-Dade County Commission is reported to be split in its opinion regarding such an ID. County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro who supports the ID is reportedly said years ago he asked for an ID that was similar to consular IDs, such as what Mexico distributes to its citizens living in the U.S. However, he did not receive the support he needed. Barreiro thinks that a county ID is needed for immigrants and would be better than individual cities having their own ID’s.

On the other hand, the indications are that the county’s mayor, Carlos Alvarez, is not supportive of the ID proposal, as he is reported as saying that such an ID program without an established federal law would be an immigration discussion without national reach.

In the meantime more undocumented immigrants in South Florida generally are facing the real possibility of returning to their home countries, as last week the Bush administration announced tougher enforcement of immigration laws. This enforcement includes fines for employees who knowingly hire undocumented workers, a new system to track the departure of visitors to the country, and an increase in Border Patrol agents. Also, the Department of Homeland Security can now ask states to voluntarily share their driver’s license photos and records with that department for use in an employment verification system.

Undocumented immigrants in South Florida’s Caribbean-American community are surprised at the new measures being taken by the Bush administration. A Jamaican in North Miami Beach who spoke on condition of anonymity, asked, “How could Bush on one hand appear to be trying to push immigration reform through Congress that would benefit undocumented immigrants, and on the other he is passing legislations that now make it all that harder for us. Now we can’t drive, and we won’t be able to get jobs, so it seems as if we will just have to form a long line at Miami’s airport and fly home.”

A 62 year-old Trinidadian woman who was living what seemed to be a lavish lifestyle, has been charged with child abuse in Fort Pierce. The woman, who had 11 adopted children, is reported to have used four aliases over two decades in New York City to adopt the children in a scam that paid her $1.26 million. She lived in a posh five-bedroom house, complete with a swimming pool, in Port St. Lucie, but the children were forced to sleep together on the floor of a utility room.

According to an AP report the door knobs on the doors of the room were reversed, which did not allow for the children in the room to get out by themselves. The report further stated that the children all had scars on their wrists and ankles, apparently from being tied and handcuffed. The adopted children range in ages 15 to 18 and a 27 year-old who was disabled - and the reports indicate that none of them appears to have more than fourth-grade education.

It is believed that this woman, Judith Leekin, moved to Florida several years ago. Florida officials had previously investigated abuse allegations against Leekin, but the investigations were stalled in 1999 because New York authorities could not find her records. However, the investigations resumed last month after Leekin was alleged to have abandoned a teenaged female at a St. Petersburg store, 200 miles from Port St. Lucie. Investigations eventually led to her arrest. She has been jailed on more than 10 charges, including child abuse. Her bail has been set at $4 million.

The reports stated that it is believed that as investigators closed in on Leekin she began making plans to leave Port. St. Lucie. She had cashed in a life insurance policy for $62,000 and had put up her home for sale, according to court documents. The documents also indicated that she owned another house in Central Florida and several cars. Her attorney has entered non-guilty pleas on her behalf.

Despite strong criticism of the Broward County Transit bus service from over a dozen BCT passengers at a recent Commission meeting, county commissioners voted on Tuesday to increase the bus fares.

The increased fares will take effect on October 1, when the regular one-way fare will increase from $1 to $1.20, a 20 percent increase, and the fare will be further increased to $1.50 in October 2009. The fares for youth, seniors and the disabled will move from the current $.50 to $.60. The popular all-day pass, which allows Broward passengers to travel from one bus to another with a transfer slip during the course of a normal day, will increase from $2.50 to $3.00, and from $1.25 to $2.00 for youth, seniors and the disabled. These rates will remain unchanged when other fares increase in October 2009. The weekly (7 days) pass will go up from $9.00 to $11.00 ($12 in 2009), and the monthly (31 days) pass from $32 to $40, and $46 come October 2009. County employees who currently pay only $9 for the 31-day county employee pass will see a significant increase in October with the cost of this pass moving to $20.

Bus fares in Broward have remained unchanged since 1995. But this increase is projected to rake in revenues estimated at $7.1 million to preclude the county from implementing significant reductions in the transit service. The measure is to counter the reductions in Broward’s budget stemming from state-mandated property tax cuts. The county is expected to lose millions of dollars as a result of these budgetary cuts.

In response to consumer complaints about BCT service and the condition of its busses, commissioners are insisting on service improvements along the county’s 43 bus routes, and have asked BCT officials for quarterly reports on the quality of the service.

According to BCT, 48 new buses will be placed on the county’s routes by year’s end, and it is to test new technology at bus stops along U.S. 441 that will give passengers real-time information about a bus’ schedule.

Public buses have become a popular transportation alternative to Caribbean-American residents of Broward county, especially with the high price of gasoline. A survey commissioned by CNWeekly News in May of this year when gas prices hovered around the $3.00 per gallon mark, found that more Caribbean-Americans living in the county were commuting to and from work on BCT buses, than over the same period in 2006. One of the main reasons why more residents had turned to the BCT was the low fares. Back then, several residents surveyed said there is no comparison between a $2.50 all day pass and $3.00 per gallon gasoline. Lauderdale Lakes resident, Carla Bent who works at a restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale and commutes on BCT daily, now says the $.50 cent per day increase in the all-day bus pass may seem small to some people, “but, when I only earn $6.50 per hour, 50 cents a day is a significant increase in my budget.”

MIRAMAR: The NBC Universal Foundation has awarded $1.25MM in grants to non profits in six cities, as part of the company’s on-going commitment to improving secondary education in underserved communities. It was announced by Jeff Zucker, president & CEO of NBC Universal. The funds will be distributed to 30 non-profit organizations in Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC.

“Giving back to our community is a priority at NBC Universal, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to support such worthy organizations both through financial contributions and the volunteer efforts of our employees," said Zucker. “I am especially pleased that the foundation has targeted public secondary education, which is so important for the success of our next generation.”

This is the second year of funding for this successful company initiative, which targets cities with large NBC Universal / Telemundo employee populations and significant education needs. Local area employees from NBC Universal and parent company General Electric have been actively involved with this effort, and will again be able to show their support by volunteering as mentors, tutors and career speakers. “We have a unique opportunity to do great work with our South Florida organizations, not only through funding, but by matching the talents of our employees with the needs of the programs’ participants,” said Michael Rodriguez, Telemundo 51 Vice President and General Manager.”

On Wednesday, Florida’s Attorney General, Bill McCollum announced at a West Palm Beach press conference, that he will be convening a statewide grand jury in West Palm Beach next week to study the incidences of gang violence throughout the state. This announcement should be well received by Caribbean-Americans.

Over the past year, gang violence has flared in many Florida cities, and certainly the South Florida community has experienced its lot of gang related tragedies, mainly shootings. Moreover, several Caribbean-American families, like Jillian Logan’s family of Miami-Gardens are very concerned about the trend of their sons, and in some cases, daughters too, of finding the pull of gang membership to be attractive.

Reports are that some 300 individuals from four judicial circuits in South Florida have been subpoenaed to appear in West Palm Beach next week to possibly serve on the grand jury. Eighteen jurors and 10 alternates will be picked. The grand jury will serve for a year, with the possibility that this one-year term could be prolonged after that initial term has elapsed.

Although the grand jury is expected to produce indictments for gang activity, it will also be expected to perform a preventative role by providing the Florida legislature with information on how best to combat gangs by keeping young people from joining them in the first place and how to lure them away from gangs if they have already joined.

"Palm Beach County is 'ground zero' for the gang problem," said State House Majority Leader, Republican Adam Hasner, from Delray Beach, speaking at the press conference. "We are dealing with the effects on a daily and weekly basis.