Florida, a state home to large populations of undocumented immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America, is struggling with a growing labor shortage, particularly in low-wage jobs often filled by workers without legal status.
As the state cracks down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, lawmakers are considering a controversial solution: loosening child labor laws.
On Tuesday, the state’s Republican-controlled legislature will debate a bill that would ease restrictions on child labor, allowing minors as young as 14 to work overnight shifts on school nights, according to a report from CNN. Currently, Florida law prohibits minors from working before 6:30 a.m. or after 11 p.m. on school days, but the new proposal would lift these restrictions, enabling teenagers to work late into the night.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made cracking down on illegal immigration a priority, has voiced support for the bill as a means to address the state’s ongoing worker shortage.
For years, Florida has been home to a significant population of undocumented immigrants, particularly from the Caribbean and Latin America. These workers often take on the lowest-wage, least-desirable jobs in industries like agriculture, hospitality, and food service, sometimes working under the table to avoid detection.
“Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts, college students should be able to do this stuff,” DeSantis said last week during a panel discussion with former ICE Director Tom Homan.
Florida has already taken steps to curb the employment of undocumented workers, including a 2023 law mandating that employers with more than 25 employees use the federal E-Verify database to confirm workers’ immigration status. Employers who fail to comply face fines of $1,000 per day.
In addition to the proposed overnight shift changes, the new bill would also eliminate working-hour restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds who are home-schooled and remove guaranteed meal breaks for 16- and 17-year-olds. Florida has been gradually relaxing child labor laws, and last year, the legislature passed a law allowing home-schooled teens to work unrestricted hours.
While some see the bill as a way to solve the state’s labor issues, others express concern about the growing number of child labor violations in Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, such violations have nearly tripled in recent years, with critics warning that loosening protections for young workers could lead to exploitation and further strain Florida’s already stressed labor market.
The debate continues, and the future of the bill will be decided in the coming days.
