Law against undocumented immigrants in Florida: when does it go into effect?

There are only a few weeks left before the new immigration law (S.B. 1718) goes into effect in Florida. The bill will hurt undocumented immigrants in the state.

“In Florida, we will not stand by while the federal government abandons its legal duties to protect our country. The legislation I signed today gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting the reckless policies of the federal government and ensuring that Florida taxpayers don’t foot the bill for illegal immigration,” said Governor Ron DeSantis as he signed the bill, which becomes the strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country.

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Law against undocumented immigrants in Florida: when does it go into effect?

This legislation will go into effect in one month, on July 1, 2023, implementing strong measures against undocumented immigrants in the state.

The law expands the requirements for businesses with more than 25 employees to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines whether employees can legally work in the United States.

It also expands penalties for employers who fail to comply with E-Verify requirements, including possible suspension and revocation of employer licenses, as well as specific penalties for employers who knowingly employ undocumented aliens.

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Immigrants with unregulated immigration status will no longer be able to rely on driver’s licenses from other states. If another state issued a license to an undocumented immigrant who was unable to demonstrate lawful presence in the United States, that person is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle in Florida.

Senate Bill 1718 also focuses on the crime of human trafficking when it involves a minor, when it involves more than five people, and when the defendant has a prior conviction for human trafficking people. This bill also adds the crime of human smuggling to the list of crimes allowed for prosecution.

The new legislation will also require every hospital that accepts Medicaid to include a question on the admission or registration forms that asks if the patient is a US citizen, lawfully present in the US or not.