Florida warns it will continue to prosecute undocumented immigrants under SB 1718
Without fear of the lawsuit filed by the Florida Farmworkers Association, the administration of Republican Ron DeSantis warned that it will continue to persecute undocumented immigrants under SB 1718.
The administration of Republican Ron DeSantis described as “aberrant” the first lawsuit filed by civil organizations against SB 1718, and warned that it will continue to fight against undocumented immigrants.
“In Florida we will continue to fight illegal immigration and the evil depredations of human smuggling,” DeSantis’ press secretary told local radio station WLRN.
The spokesman said the complainants, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), are “friends of the left.”
The complaint is being led by several organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), on behalf of the Florida Farmworkers Association.
The lawsuit focuses on Section 10 of the law, which addresses the transportation of undocumented immigrants from another state into Florida.
Individuals who commit that crime, regardless of whether they are relatives of the immigrant, face up to 15 years in prison, but if there are repeat offenses and other conditions, the punishment can be up to 30 years in prison.
Immigrant advocates pointed out that SB 1718 addresses “human smuggling,” when it is a federal-level issue, but there are also problems in the law about concepts that do not match national standards.
“What they did [with the law] has nothing to do with actual human smuggling,” said Paul Chavez, senior supervising attorney for the SPLC. “It has everything to do with being cruel to the immigrant community in an attempt to discourage their migration.”
It will be Aug. 7 when immigration attorneys file a motion for a preliminary injunction on Aug. 7.
Anne Hernandez Anderson, senior supervising attorney at SPLC, previously told the podcast “El Diario Sin Limites” that the legal suit may have major consequences, not only on Section 10, mainly due to the vague concepts.
In addition to prosecuting those who transport undocumented immigrants to Florida, SB 1718 requires companies with more than 25 employees to use the E-Verify system, as well as canceling the validity of driver’s licenses that other states grant to undocumented immigrants.