‘Undocumented’ migrant leaves Florida following new illegal immigration law: report
TAMPA, Fla. (FLV) – Axios shared a story of an “undocumented” migrant leaving Florida after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an anti-illegal immigration bill into law May 10.
The new law mandates E-Verify, adds money for migrant transports and increases penalties for human smuggling.
The Axios story explained how one migrant arrived in Tampa at 6 years old, but plans to move to another state because of the new law. The interviewee said she would not be allowed to become a lawyer under the new law and her brother would not be able to get a job.
“I love Florida, I love the weather, I love the people,” she said told Axios. “But I knew we had to leave when I read what was in that law. It isn’t safe.”
The act repeals state law that allowed an unauthorized immigrant who was brought to the U.S. as a minor to practice law in Florida. The law would not affect the validity of any license to practice law before Nov. 1, 2028.
Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, and Rep. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, carried the legislation in the House. Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, sponsored the legislation in the Senate.
“Our Southern Border has been dealing with a manmade crisis under the ineptness of President Biden, allowing more than 6.3 million illegal immigrants to flood our border,” Ingoglia said during debate.
The law includes $12 million from the general fund for an illegal immigration program that DeSantis used to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last year.
Under current law, E-Verify is only mandated for public employers and their contractors. The law changes the requirement to mandate employers with more than 25 employees use E-Verify. Those with less than 25 employees would need to use the current I-9 process.
If the Department of Economic Opportunity finds that an employer did not use the E-Verify system, then the company could face a fine of $1,000 per day until the situation is resolved.
The law also prohibits local governments from providing identification cards to illegal immigrants.
On top of this, the legislation enhances human smuggling penalties for those smuggling a minor, more than five people, or when the defendant has a prior conviction for human smuggling.
The law outlines that someone who “knowingly and willfully” transports someone into the state that is here illegally commits a third degree felony.
The analysis said it changes the state’s domestic security statutes to more easily help the federal government enforce federal immigration laws.
