Washington, DC – Today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB1718 into law, one of the most anti-immigrant bills that has made it through any state legislature in our country in recent memory.
Read breakdowns of the bill here and here by the Florida Policy Center.
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Our hearts are with Florida today, especially its vibrant immigrant community, and we condemn Gov. DeSantis’ shortsighted, misplaced, and cruel efforts. Florida has long thrived because of its dynamic and ever changing immigrant communities and this law will not only hurt immigrants but will also be detrimental to the state’s economy. We’ve already seen videos shared on social media of empty work sites. Over time, this legislation will affect industries from the agricultural fields to the service, construction and home care.
Yet, the human impact is always the most important and this law hurts the most vulnerable who will now have to endure the fear of the potential punishments they may face as they go about their daily lives.
And let’s be clear, this law is simply an effort by Gov. DeSantis to ramp up his right-wing bonafides among a Republican Party base that has grown more xenophobic ahead of a potential announcement that he’ll be running for president. Much like his peers at the federal level, DeSantis would rather make a spectacle of punishing immigrants for political gain than find common ground solutions that would benefit Florida and the nation.”
Additional Resources and Background
- Read America’s Voice editor Gabe Ortiz, ‘Do You Work For Your Community, Or Ron DeSantis?’
- The Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Southern Poverty Law Center were among the state experts and advocates speaking out against the bill on a press call organized by America’s Voice last month. (find details and recording here)
- Find more details about Ron DeSantis’s anti-immigrant views in the recent AV backgrounder, “Ron Desantis Imagines a United States Without Immigration.”
