How will the new immigration law in Florida affect undocumented immigrants?

After being approved by the legislature, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a new immigration bill (S.B. 1718), which will adversely affect undocumented immigrants in the state starting July 1, when it officially goes into effect.

How the new immigration law in Florida will affect undocumented immigrants

The new legislation will affect immigrants without documents in several aspects, including the labor field, health, in terms of their identification, and possible relocation. These are some of the measures that could harm those with unregulated immigration status.

Employment

Businesses with more than 25 employees must use E-Verify, a federal system that determines whether employees can legally work in the United States.

The new law establishes criminal penalties for certain foreigners who use false identification documents or fraudulently use another person’s identification documents in order to obtain employment.

The Department of Economic Opportunity shall be authorized to request and require an employer to provide copies of certain employee documentation.

The law also removes the provision that authorizes an unauthorized immigrant to obtain a license to practice law in Florida.

Education

Eliminates tuition fee waivers for undocumented immigrant students.

ID and driver's licenses

The new legislation also prohibits counties and municipalities from providing funds to any person, entity or organization to issue identification documents to a person who does not provide proof of legal presence in the United States.

In addition, certain driver's licenses and permits issued by other states exclusively to unauthorized immigrants will not be valid in Florida.

READ ALSO: New immigration law to affect companies that hire migrants

Health

Hospitals that accept Medicaid must collect information about the immigration status of patients on admission or registration forms. Individuals will need to indicate whether they are US citizens, are in the country legally, are not in the country legally; or they may decline to respond.

Relocation

The bill provides $12 million for DeSantis’s immigrant resettlement initiative, which garnered national attention last year. In 2022, the Republican governor brought a group of South American immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts- a move intended to defy federal immigration policy.

Other measures

Law enforcement agencies will be required to collect DNA samples from individuals who do not possess regulated immigration status and are detained under a federal detainer request.

To see more details about said bill, review the full text on the Florida Senate website.