After Maria, a Puerto Rico native believes Florida is poised to become a 'blue state'

Eve Samples | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Electricity returned to the last powerless residents of Puerto Rico on Tuesday, almost a year after Hurricanes Irma and Maria darkened the island and damaged or destroyed more than a third of its occupied homes.

As the $139 billion recovery effort continues in his homeland, Ricardo Skerrett believes another impact from the storm is brewing on the horizon.

Puerto Rican attorney praises immigrants for helping economy | Florida Voices Ricardo Skerrett, an immigration attorney based out of Fort Myers, discusses why immigration is good for the economy.

"It's going to turn Florida into a blue state," says Skerrett, an immigration attorney based in Fort Myers. "Puerto Ricans vote en masse."

His prediction will be tested by turnout for Florida's Aug. 28 primary — and more significantly on Nov. 6, when Floridians will elect a new governor and choose between Rick Scott, a Republican, and Democrat Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate, among a slate of other midterm races.

It's not clear exactly how many Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida since last year's hurricanes, but Gov. Scott has estimated the number at about 300,000. Some economists have pegged the estimate far lower, closer to 50,000.

With a narrow difference between the number of registered Democrats and Republicans in Florida (4.79 million vs. 4.56 million, respectively), even a marginal shift could be a difference-maker at the polls. Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, its residents are eligible to vote once they move to one of the 50 states.

For his part, Skerrett is eager to see political balance restored to Florida and the country.

"The Democrats need to get control of the (U.S.) House and the Senate because we need to have checks and balances, and right now we don’t have checks and balances in this government," says Skerrett, who moved to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1997.

Florida is home to about 1 million Puerto Ricans — more than any other state, according to 2016 data compiled by the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

While many natives have settled in Miami and Orlando, Skerrett prefers the quieter lifestyle of Southwest Florida. He opened his law practice there in December 2001, two months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"Those were the dark ages of immigration, when the whole system became paralyzed. They enacted new legislation, they created all these new agencies," Skerrett recalls.

He has seen policies and laws shift with every administration since then.

Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both failed to get Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Obama resorted to executive action — notably the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, which allows qualified immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children to get work authorization.

Now, President Donald Trump's administration is challenging DACA in court. It also launched an initiative within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency to strip citizenship from immigrants who might have lied in order to remain in the country.

Skerrett calls the effort "a waste of government resources."

"I’ve always said immigration, whether illegal or legal, follows the reality of the market.

Where there’s jobs, people will go. If there’s no jobs, people will not go there," Skerrett explains.

“Right now we have a construction boom here in Florida, and most of the construction is done by illegal aliens who are the ones who are working on the roofs because nobody else wants to do that kind of job," Skerrett says. "And I think it would adversely affect the economy of Florida if we try to go against the market.”

The nature of his legal work has changed as immigration policy has shifted.

Recently, he has handled litigation for more clients who are facing removal from the country. Prior to Trump's election, Skerrett was handling more green card applications and "adjustment of status" requests for permanent residency.

He is concerned about the divisive tone being set by the White House.

“We are a country of immigrants," Skerrett says, "and precisely the melting pot that we are has helped us develop the country that we have today.”

He hopes voters, and not just Puerto Ricans, send a message at the polls this year.

How would you describe Florida at this moment in history?

Florida is changing a lot. We have an influx of immigrants coming in, not only foreign nationals, but we’re having Puerto Ricans coming in. Even though Trump is trying to limit illegal immigration, the reality is Florida is an agricultural state, and much of our tomatoes and much of our produce is picked by illegal undocumented workers.

What issues are on your mind this election year?

Definitely gun control, immigration, health care, the economy. I don’t like the fact that we are involved in a trade war with our allies.

When you think about the future of Florida, what worries you?

The fact that we’re not doing anything to control coastal erosion; the fact that we’re not doing anything to protect the Everglades; the fact that we continue to pollute our rivers because of the overflows from Lake Okeechobee through the Caloosahatchee (and St. Lucie) River.

We need to take care here in Florida of many environmental issues, many issues dealing with children and the elderly.

What makes you hopeful about the future of Florida?

Florida is a big state. It’s going to keep on growing. There’s a lot of potential for economic development here. And because of the influx of immigrants, I think it’s going to become a more open state.

Florida Voices is a project of the USA TODAY Network-Florida that spotlights issues important to Floridians this election year. Learn more, including how to nominate a Floridian.

Ricardo Skerrett

Age: 57

Occupation: Immigration attorney

Lives in: Cape Coral (Lee County)

Election issues: Gun control, immigration, health care, economy, trade policies