Florida Immigrant Coalition
Torrico will lead a grassroots campaign to resist the joint efforts of local law enforcement and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to arrest, detain, and deport immigrants in Collier County, Florida, a part of the country that has become a flashpoint on immigration enforcement policy.
Torrico’s activism, which includes organizing for immigrants’ rights in southwest Florida began while she was a student at the University of Florida with an uncertain future. In response to the constant persecution of undocumented immigrants in her community, she established a student organization, CHISPAS, to support the Latino immigrant community in Gainesville and its surrounding areas. As president of CHISPAS, she coordinated ESL classes, demonstrations and forums, and co-founded a regional task force of immigrant youth in southwest Florida. Since graduation from the University of Florida, Torrico has been intensely involved in the DREAM Act movement, supporting undocumented youth seeking higher education and a path to citizenship.