Undocumented domestic workers protest Florida law against irregular migration

Numerous undocumented employees from South Florida took to the streets of Miami this weekend to protest against the new law SB 1718 that punishes irregular migration.

MIAMI, USA — More than 20 years ago, Bertha Sanles left her native Nicaragua to embark on a journey that would change her life forever. She came to South Florida as a tourist and decided to stay, just as she had planned. She wanted a better life and in her country, insecurity and economic uncertainty were the order of the day. Since then, she has lived in Miami without papers proving legal status and works as a domestic employee. “The life of a person without documents in the country is to live in fear, because you get up every morning entrusting yourself to God because I don't know what is going to happen and it is not easy because any situation can arise that makes you Don't come home at night," explains the woman during an interview with the Voice of America in one of the houses where she usually goes to do the weekly cleaning. Sanles is one of those affected by the SB 1718 law signed by the governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, and which will enter into force on July 1. The measure requires, among other things, the use of the E-Verify system to certify the legal status of employees, punishes those who transport undocumented immigrants to Florida with up to 15 years in prison, and invalidates identification cards from other states that, as New York, they grant to undocumented immigrants.

“There is a lot of fear right now and many people are calling me to tell me that they are already packing their bags to leave the state, I am not sure if I am going to leave, but it is something that is on top of the table every night”, admits Sanles. Despite the fear that, according to her, the new Florida legislation has sown, she actively participates in the marches and rallies that have been taking place in the state since it was learned that this law would take effect on July 1. . “What I would say to the governor if he were here before him is for him to stop using the migrant community as a political game, because that is the only thing he is doing. But he is not realizing that he is hurting families, he is hurting American citizens and he is damaging the country's economy”, she affirms, convinced that the consequences of this measure “will be disastrous”. “We must further strengthen our laws against illegal immigration by improving employment verification, increasing penalties for human smuggling, and further discouraging illegal migration to the state of Florida,” DeSantis declared, stressing that “Florida is not a sanctuary state.” and that his government will defend "the rule of law."

DeSantis, a leading contender in the Republican primary race led by former President Donald Trump, has made border security a focus of his campaign, accusing President Joe Biden's administration of lax immigration policies. "This has been a huge dereliction by the president," DeSantis said in a meeting with law enforcement officers in Sierra Vista, Arizona, near the US-Mexico border. It is not the only time. The Biden administration has been under fire from Republicans, who allege that the White House maintains an "open borders" policy, referring to the incessant arrival of irregular migrants across the southern border. The arguments of the Biden government Officials in the Joe Biden administration have criticized the immigration policies and views coming from Governor DeSantis and others. White House spokeswoman Karine

Jean-Pierre, speaking to reporters in January, said DeSantis "is not trying to fix the problem, he's really creating a problem." The secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, has defended in Miami the achievements of the humanitarian parole program for Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, which is the subject of a lawsuit filed by some twenty states, including Florida. “This is the model that we have built and will continue to build so that our principle of humanitarian aid is achievable in a safe and orderly manner. That way people don't have to risk their lives in the hands of those who only seek to exploit them for profit,” Mayorkas said at a press conference in January from Little Haiti, a Miami neighborhood with a high population of Haitian nationals. 24% of the population works in construction, 17% in the field and administration, 15% in the hospitality sector and 9% in retail trade. Another report from the Florida Policy Institute concludes that running out of the state without undocumented immigrants would deal a severe blow to the state's economy as more than $12.6 billion would be lost. dollars, that is, 1.1%.

They claim the role of migrants That is why domestic workers have also raised their voices against this measure and to vindicate their role in society because, they recall, "they do the work that others do not want to do." This weekend, numerous women, mainly from Latin America, took to the streets of downtown Miami to demand greater legal protection against the measures that the state government is carrying out with the SB 1718 law. fear, the only thing it is doing is strengthening the community and that is the reason why we wanted to unite, because we want to demand a bill of rights because with the new law, the rights of immigrants are at risk”, said Claudia Navarro , director of programs for WeCount!, an organization that groups farm, construction and home workers in South Florida.

"What will become of me after July 1?"

María Jesús Pantoja is another Nicaraguan who arrived in South Florida almost three decades ago in search of a better life and, since then, she has been avoiding legal obstacles because she does not have papers. She, like her companions, is also dedicated to domestic chores and denounces that they are often abused due to the fact that they do not have a legal status to rely on.

She admits to being "very worried" about what her life will be like after July 1. “What is going to happen to us? Are they going to harass us like they did on the Texas border? Here now a pet has more value than an undocumented person," says Pantoja, who also joined the march of domestic workers who took to the streets to protest the new law SB 1718 promulgated by the now presidential candidate for the Republican Party , Ron DeSantis. For political analyst Thomas Kennedy, this law is a "political ploy" by Ron DeSantis to present himself to the Republican electorate as "the most conservative candidate" out there to date. "In recent months, DeSantis has signed ultraconservative laws with the intention of making himself known as the most rightwing candidate," Kennedy commented, recalling some of the laws he has approved, such as reducing abortion from 15 to 6 weeks. , the law known as "Do not say gay" that prohibits speaking in schools of sexual and gender identity or the free carrying of weapons.

Note published in Spanish in: VOA English translation/BDN