Miami Florida. – The Florida House of Representatives has approved it Bill HB 1718, which, among other provisions, prohibits counties and municipalities from providing funds to any person, company, or organization that provides identification documents to a person who does not have proof of their legal presence in the United States. 83 votes were cast in favor of the measure and 36 against.
It contemplates up to 15 years in prison for transporting undocumented immigrants to Florida and fines for employers who hire undocumented immigrants.
The initiative now heads to the state governor’s office, with Republican and potential presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, the measure’s promoter, and his immediate signature expected.
The bill will reach DeSantis’ desk after its approval in the state Senate last Friday and after the Republican-controlled Florida House of Representatives on Monday rejected 19 amendments proposed by the Democratic opposition.
“This immigration bill doesn’t solve any problems; it dehumanizes people based on how they came to this country,” criticized Democratic Representative Rita Harris.
The initiative, approved by the state Legislature with Republican majorities in both houses, would impose up to 15 years in prison for anyone transporting undocumented immigrants to Florida, as well as fines and revocation of licenses for companies that do not verify the immigration’s legality. All their workers.
It establishes an obligation for hospitals and medical centers in the state to collect information on patients’ immigration status, and invalidates driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in other states in Florida.
The approved text would bar Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), known as “Dreamers,” from practicing law until November 2028.
In addition, it includes $12,000,000,000 in funds to relocate immigrants to other states in the country.
Criticism of pro-immigrant groups
“Nearly 20 percent of Floridians are immigrants. There is no place in our state for a bill that would directly harm one-fifth of our population. Simply put, this bill is shameful,” Kirk Bailey, the branch’s political director in the state, said today. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, in English).
Bailey said the bill encourages racial profiling of many Floridians and creates a “show your papers” culture, as well as harming businesses, the local economy and the public health system.
He noted that a similar law in Arizona led to $141 million in direct costs and $253 million in “lost economic output.”
“It is not intended to provide the protections they demand, and it does not provide a solution to a broken federal immigration system. The border crisis is fear-mongering propaganda and is being used as an excuse to increase the government’s reach,” he said. Part of Tessa Pettit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC).
Last week, a group of 80 doctors and health professionals sent letters to the leaders of both houses of the Florida Legislature, Senator Kathleen Pacitomo and Congressman Paul Renner, warning that the plan risks undermining health policies.
They recalled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security established in the guidelines so-called “protected areas” that are far from the reach of immigration laws, which apparently include hospitals and medical centers.
“A hospital is not an appropriate place to engage a person in private immigration matters,” the letter’s signatories noted.
Additionally, the bill also invalidates immigrant identification permits issued by other states in Florida.
Some hospitals are required to collect information about patients’ immigration status on enrollment or registration forms, require the Department of Economic Opportunity to enter a specific order, and reimburse certain economic development incentives if the Department finds or receives notification to you. An employer hires a person knowing that he or she is an undocumented immigrant.
Now, with the measure signed into law in both legislative bodies, it heads to Governor Ron DeSantis for signature, approval and effective July 1 of this year.
Last Friday, the Senate signed off on the measure, prompting a reaction from Paula Munoz, campaign director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
In a press release, Munoz said, “Our state senators are deliberately hurting Florida families for their own political gain. Florida residents sometimes miss big events like graduations or weddings. Similarly, if someone needs to seek care outside of Florida, they cannot return home. This is bad legislation that will make our state safer and more prosperous.
What the immigration bill envisages:
- Requires employers with more than 25 workers to use E-Verify to determine employment eligibility, makes it a felony to use false identification to obtain eligibility, and allows for license revocation or substantial fines if an employer violates E-Verify requirements.
- Hospitals that accept Medicaid and emergency departments must collect data on patients’ immigration status, including when they visit the ER, and report to the AHCA and the Legislature the cost of care provided to patients without standardized immigration status.
- Florida makes transporting people without formalized immigration status into the state a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. This includes charging you for returning to the state of Florida when you are a permanent resident. This includes entering the state for tourism or business meetings with friends, colleagues or relatives without regular immigration status.
- Prohibits funding of community identification programs at the city and county level.
- Driver’s licenses issued by 16 states and the District of Columbia are invalid for drivers without legalized immigration status.
- Provides that the Homeland Security chief will coordinate immigration enforcement operations in Florida.
- If approved after 2018, repeals the law that would have allowed lawyers to practice law that still regulates immigration status.
- Law enforcement agencies are required to collect DNA samples from people who have not obtained regularized immigration status and who are detained under federal custody requests.
