Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made immigration one of the pillars of his presidential bid and has touted a new law (SB 1718) aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigrants.
During a recent bill signing ceremony, DeSantis used the opportunity to criticize President Joe Biden’s administration over what he views as being weak on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Just sitting around doing nothing of importance, while the American people suffer," said DeSantis. "What’s the problem with this? Well first of all its chaos, we’re supposed to be the world’s leading superpower and yet we can’t even maintain control of our own southern border.”
DeSantis has recently garnered attention for using state money to fly undocumented immigrants from Texas to states like Massachusetts and California.
Under Florida’s newest laws, undocumented immigrants requesting basic services like hospital visits and receiving a driver’s license will come with strict guardrails. The measure requires hospitals that get Medicaid dollars to ask for a patient's immigration status. The law invalidates non-Florida licenses issued to undocumented people, while also making it a crime to travel in the state with anyone undocumented.
While the governor looks as the measures as a plus, critics say the provision is an attack on the immigrant community.
Karen Woodall helps run the state’s People’s Advocacy Center in Tallahassee. The organization provides training in civic engagement at the state capitol. She says the laws DeSantis promote hurt people who come to Florida to work and contribute to the state’s economy.
"We need to be mindful of that and work to support folks as they need health care and housing and honor their contributions as laborers in our community and in the state," said Woodall.
Florida business owners are not exempt. Those that hire immigrants before going through the federal verification program, E-verify will face penalties.
In most cases, an employer could be fined $1,000 per day. In cities like Miami, where the U.S. Census Bureau reports more than half of residents are foreign-born immigrants, the new laws are a big deal.
“All these companies depend on this laborer to move projects forward and of course the employees depend on the work to put food on the table," said the Florida Immigration Coalition’s political analyst Thomas Kennedy.
"They are afraid to show up to work. Employers are firing people and letting them go because of fear of the fines and penalties imposed on the law.”
The new laws are already having an effect. About two weeks ago, many construction workers didn’t show up at sites and some crops sat in their fields untouched amid what organizers called “a day without immigrants.”