Florida immigration law: Can immigrant rights associations stop its implementation?
On July 1, the new immigration law in Florida went into effect. This is how the legislation will affect non-immigrant residents of the state.
This July 1st, a new immigration law (S.B. 1718) went into effect in Florida, the toughest of its kind in the entire country. . This legislation will affect undocumented immigrants living in the state, as well as those trying to enter the state.
In general terms, the new anti-immigration law will affect immigrants in the areas of employment, identification, transportation and health, among others. In addition, the application of the legislation will have consequences for the rest of the population, including non-immigrants and US citizens living in Florida.
The consequences include a labor shortage in vital industries such as tourism, agriculture, construction, hospitality and restaurants. As the time approached for the immigration law to go into effect, protests and strikes by groups opposing the measure took place. Is there any way to stop its implementation?
Florida immigration law: Can immigrant rights associations stop its implementation?
Various organizations and migrants organized peaceful protests in various parts of Florida, including Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Winter Park, Homestead, Miami, Fort Myers, Tallahassee, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach.
On the other hand, several Florida businesses are also planning to close for a day or more this week to protest the new law, as they will also be affected by the draconian restrictions, similar to the “Day Without Immigrants” effort which was held on June 1. While the law has gone into effect, it has yet to been seen if authorities in Florida will implement the letter of the law.
This may interest you: Florida Immigration Law: Will it be illegal to transport undocumented immigrants?
Juan José Gutiérrez, executive director of the Coalition for Full Immigrant Rights, told EFE that, as happened with anti-immigration legislation in California and Arizona, it is expected that the new law will face legal disputes and end up not being implemented.
“We have come to tell the estimated million undocumented immigrants in Florida that they are not alone, that we have experience in how to neutralize these regressive and reactionary laws”, Gutierrez said.
Gutiérrez pointed out that, in addition to the protests, lawyers from civil rights and pro-immigrant organizations have designed a legal strategy against SB 1718, which will be reflected in several lawsuits.
Gutiérrez recalls that California’s Proposition 187, an anti-immigrant law from 1994, faced legal challenges for years until a governor decided to put an end to it. Another similar law, Arizona’s 1020, went into effect but was not implemented.
On the other hand, in the case of Florida, Florida employers are also against the law, mainly those that have a mostly immigrant workforce, since it includes several measures that harm them. Either by depriving them of their workers as they leave to state unsure about their safety or the fines, up to $1,000 per day.