Florida Immigration Law: Will it be illegal to transport undocumented immigrants?
On July 1, the new immigration law in Florida goes into effect. Will it be illegal to transport undocumented immigrants into the state? We explain to you.
The Florida legislature passed a new immigration bill (S.B. 1718), which will hurt undocumented immigrants in the state. After approval, the bill went to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has already signed it.
The new legislation, which has become the strongest anti-illegal immigration law in the country, will take effect on July 1, 2023, implementing strong measures against undocumented immigrants, including penalties for those who transport immigrants with unregulated immigration status.
However, confusion has arisen regarding the application of the new law and whether it will affect the transportation of undocumented immigrants within the state, whether they are an acquaintance, friend or relative. Here is an explanation of what the law states.
Florida Immigration Law: Will it be illegal to transport undocumented immigrants?
Under section 787.07 of the act, “a person who transports into this state an individual who the person knows, or should know, is illegally entering the United States from another country” which was in violation of the law and has not been inspected by the Federal Government since its illegal entry commits a third degree felony. “A person commits a separate offense for each individual he or she transports into this state in violation of this section.”
In this section, the law does not make a distinction between relatives, but refers to the transportation of an undocumented migrant across state lines from another state or another country. This means that if a person enters the state of Florida with an undocumented immigrant, they would be committing a third degree felony.
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According to attorney Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez, with experience in immigration issues, the law refers to the transportation of undocumented immigrants from another state or country to the state, but does not refer to the transportation of undocumented immigrants who are already living in the state.
According to the Florida Immigrant Coalition, IT WILL NOT BE A CRIME to transport a person with an unregulated status within the state of Florida. For example, going to the supermarket, the park, church, etc, as long as it does not imply entering the state with an undocumented immigrant from another state or country.
As for the charges, knowingly transporting an illegal immigrant to Florida will result in 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine per offense. Transporting five or more illegal aliens, only one minor unaccompanied or a convicted smuggler will result in a $10,000 fine and a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
These are some of the measures included in the new bill. Legislation passed by the legislature includes more measures, as well as detailed information on fines and penalties. To see more details about said bill, review the full text on the Florida Senate web portal.