At the beginning of July the laws passed by Governor, and now US Presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis will come into action. Senate Bill 1718 passed in May, is the latest move in the persistent right-wing crackdown on illegal immigration.
Under this new law, employers will be forced to utilize the E-Verify system which checks the legal eligibility of prospective employees. Additionally, the new law will invalidate ID cards issued to “illegal aliens” in other states and will require hospitals and healthcare providers who accept Medicaid to collect citizenship data on their patients.
“Florida sent a strong message that as a state we will protect our resources, our communities, and our families,” said Representative Kiyan Michael on May 10th.
There’s panic among many in the immigration community. Pop-up events such as the 2nd annual Adjusting to America event on Saturday are hoping to collect immigrants with legal representation to dispel myth from reality. Susan Mugueltorena, a case manager and one of the organizers says she’s noting many immigrant families are terrified and already leaving the country preemptively.
“What that tells me is that they’re not even willing to understand the bill, they just want to get up and leave,” Migueltorena said. “That, in a way, doesn’t help us because a lot of our families that are migrants work in rural areas where vegetation is and it’s all agricultural. What is going to happen to all of that if we don’t have people working those fields?”
The rhetoric around the bill doesn’t help. “The Biden Border Crisis has wreaked havoc across the United States and has put Americans in danger,” said Governor Ron DeSantis a month ago. “In Florida, we will not stand idly by while the federal government abandons its lawful duties to protect our country. The legislation I signed today gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration.”
Medical professionals have already noted a decline in immigrant visits. Events such as Adjusting to America are hoping to educate the people most at risk. “We’re talking about this question of what’s going to happen to immigrants that right now they’re not even going that much to the doctor, but now that the law goes into effect, that they might be reported just by going to the doctors to get a checkup,” shared CEO of Tampa Bay Senior Solutions, and former Medicare insurance agent, Alex Torres. “Or, if they have an emergency, they must just stay at home or try to do it themselves because they’re afraid.”
Professionals across the legal and medical industries are urging immigrants to be better informed about the incoming changes. Despite the rhetoric from government officials, there are avenues to secure not only medical aid but legal residence status.
