Tampa Democrats blast 'Ricardo' Scott on immigrant driver's license veto

In a statement that accompanied his veto, Scott blasted President Obama for his executive action to institute a policy known as "Deferred Action" that allowed young people without documentation to avoid deportation (for two years) if they met certain criteria.

"Deferred action status is simply a policy of the Obama administration absent Congressional direction, designed to dictate removal action decisions using DHS (Department of Homeland Security) agency discretion," Scott wrote in a veto message. "It was never passed by Congress, nor is it a promulgated rule."

Twenty-year-old Mexico City native Carlos Segovia came to the U.S. when he was 1 year old. He was only recently approved for Deferred Action. The son of farm workers, he said his life has already been challenging, as his parents criss-crossed the country, moving from California to the Southeast to the Mid West, seasonally picking fruits and vegetables.

"What I learned through all of that is that if you keep working hard and set your mind on something, you can accomplish anything," Segovia said. "But when there's barriers in your life and stop signs, it's really hard to keep going."

"By not signing this law it keeps the oppression on good people who want to go to school, want to do the right thing, that have no criminal record," said Tampa City Council Chairman Charlie Miranda. "This is not about Republicans, this is not about Democrats, this is about human beings who want to stay here, work here and be mainstream."

Adding more politics to the mix was Hillsborough County School Board member Susan Valdes, who called Scott's veto a huge mistake and promised that 2014 is "right around the corner."

It should be noted that state law allows undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license if they obtain a federal employment card, which is now available to those given deferred status. This was noted by Gov. Scott in his veto message.