Widespread Protests Against The New Immigration Law In Florida

On May 10, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a new immigration bill that makes sweeping changes for private employers operating in the state with 25 or more employees. This new law will come into effect from July 1, 2023.

Enforcements of the New Immigration Law

The bill authorises Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to impose penalties on an employer if they knowingly employ, hire, recruit, or refer for private or public employment, an individual unauthorized to work. It may also lead to revocation of all applicable licenses. Earlier to this bill being passed, the enforcement authority vested with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

In addition, the bill mandates all private employers with 25 or more employees to verify a new employee’s employment eligibility using the E-Verify system, starting July 1, 2023. This was also not a requirement earlier. Further, this employment verification needs to be done within three working days of the new employee joining the workforce.

Along with these enforcements, there were other stringent compliances and enforcements being put into effect. The measures are aimed at cracking down on people who facilitate getting undocumented immigrants into Florida and at the same time collecting data about hospital patients and ensuring that they are in the country legally. 

It is part of a series of steps that Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders have taken in recent years aimed at undocumented immigrants.

Widespread Panic among Small Private Employers Led to Strong Protests

Signing of this bill by Governor Ron DeSantis has led to widespread panic among the small private employers. On Thursday, June 1, as part of a nationwide effort to protest Florida’s sweeping new immigration law, there were a series of demonstrations along with labor strikes and temporary closure of small Hispanic-owned businesses across the Bay Area. Many Mexican restaurants in the area had the ‘Closed’ sign on the door on Thursday, as some of their workers or chefs were immigrants. As a result, these businesses were also losing customers.

These series of demonstrations and protests held at different places like Tampa’s Al Lopez Park and at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Columbus Drive were named ‘A Day Without Immigrants’. 

Protesting against the new law being enforced and in general, an increasing skepticism about the immigrants, one of the owners of a small cleaning business in Brandon, Christina Rubio called out – “They’re not taking jobs away from Americans. They’re doing jobs that Americans don’t want to do.” As an alternative, she suggested that there should be permits allowed for jobs that nobody else wants to do.

Some of the other protesters strongly felt that immigrants are a part of the country, and they make it complete in their own way.

Similar protests were also being planned in the greater Orlando area.

The movement against the new immigration law has been spreading on social media and goes much beyond just restaurants. For example, some small construction businesses, landscaping companies etc. as well as farming were also impacted.

According to the 2020 US Census, currently there are 100,000 more Hispanic residents living in the greater Tampa Bay area as compared to 10 years ago. And this does not include people who are undocumented or are migrant workers. Based on public school records, the migrant population is estimated to be around 500,000. According to some of the other recent reports, Hispanics in Florida were undercounted by about a million.

Outlook

The stringent enforcements that are likely to come into effect in Florida from July 1, 2023 as a result of the signing of the new immigration law signed by the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has led to widespread protests in the state. Some of the small businesses in the Bay area were temporarily closed on account of these protests. If the protests continue for long, and as a result if a lot of immigrants leave the State of Florida, it may have a significant impact on the state’s economy as well.