Florida’s controversial anti-immigrant law, SB1718, doesn’t go into effect until July 1, 2023, but the Sunshine State is already feeling the effects of the legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Over the last week, videos have been uploaded to social media platforms to show the consequences of the bill, which requires businesses with 25 or more workers to register their employees under the federal E-verify system. It also bans undocumented immigrants from getting a driver’s license and requires hospitals to ask patients for their immigration status in emergency rooms, among other rules.
“I am leaving Florida. I have to do it for the sake of my children,” Dolores Lucas told the CBS affiliate in Miami. “I cannot afford to put my kids at risk, I don’t know where I will go but I will leave Florida.” Lucas has five children. Only one of them was born in the U.S. The others were born in her home country of Guatemala.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, 772,000 undocumented immigrants live in Florida. It is unknown yet how many undocumented workers will leave the state because of SB1718, but there are plenty of videos online that are showing how immigrants are reacting, including empty work sites and fields that will go to ruin because there are no workers.
Other videos featured Floridians talking about how SB1718 is going to hurt the state because no one is going to do the jobs that undocumented immigrants will do.
Many had a message for Gov. DeSantis: “F— around and find out.”