Politicians Regret Anti-immigrant Law. What can we Learn from Florida?

What happens when a law is passed based on bias and not actual data? It backfires against those who proposed it. This is exactly what seems to be taking place in Florida, a state that is giving itself a costly reality check after having passed a draconian antiimmigrant law with great fanfare.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the toughest anti-immigrant laws in the country on May 10. Less than a month later (and a few weeks before the law goes into effect), various conservative politicians who initially supported it are now regretful, as industries such as agriculture and tourism are already feeling the devastating effects of a labor shortage.

When prejudice becomes law

Bill SB-1718 provides $12 million to relocate undocumented immigrants away from Florida. It also requires companies with more than 25 employees to verify the immigration status of their workers, prohibits local governments from giving money to organizations that issue ID cards to immigrants, and invalidates driver’s licenses from other states where immigrants can obtain them, among other restrictions.

What was the motivation behind this law? Instilling fear against immigrants and showing DeSantis as a “tough” and ultra-conservative politician in order to strengthen his presidential nomination. Only the first part of this plan was fulfilled.

Beyond the fact that it is unconstitutional for a state to assume immigration functions (since it is a federal issue), or that this type of law damages the trust between immigrants and the authorities (benefiting criminals who attack this community), there is also a painful social cost and serious economic implications.

The economy of fear

Many families decided to leave Florida and find a place where

Presidente Alvaro Gurdián

Directora Hilda H. Gurdián

Vice Presidente Alvaro Gurdián Jr.

Editor Diego Barahona A. dbarahona@lanoticia.com

Reporteros

Kayla Young

Eileen Rodríguez

Yuliana Montiel

Jeralí Giménez

Jonathan Hernandez

Apolo Valdés

Emmanuel Gutierrez

Daniel González

Karole Pelcastre Avilez

Escritores/Colaboradores

Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodríguez, Ph.D.

Dr. Mike Walden

Dr. Carlos Cruz

Patricia Huerta

Gustavo Cruz

Marcos Andón

Ernesto Maradiaga

Fotos/Video

Rodrigo Gaudenzi

José Félix Sánchez

Traducción Kendal Walters

Ventas

Rosario Herrera Gerente de Ventas Sector Latino 704-965-9443 rherrera@lanoticia.com

Directora de Arte

María E. Benton

Diseño Douglas Herrera

Diego Barahona A.

they do not feel persecuted. The result? Today, it is common to hear reports of abandoned farm fields, construction sites without workers, and an evident lack of labor in various industries in the state.

On June 5 at a community meeting in Hialeah, two Republican state legislators tried to downplay the harm the law has caused. In a video one of them can even be seen begging attendees to tell Latinos not to leave Florida.

“I’m a farmer, and the farmers are mad as hell. We are losing employees that are already starting to move to Georgia and other states. It’s urgent that you talk to all your other people and convince them that you have resources, state representatives, other people that can explain the bill,” said representative Rick Roth, using a Spanish interpreter.

For her part, state representative Alina García (who emigrated from Cuba as a child) stated that they did not want immigrants to leave, but she admitted the bill was intended to “scare people from coming to Florida.”

Don’t be fooled; we need immigrants

The economic growth of a state depends on the availability of labor, and immigrants are essential for multiple industries. For example, North Carolina ranks sixth in the nation for the number of immigrant farmworkers, according to the Farmworker Advocacy Network.

If ultra-conservative politicians are not swayed by the social impact of anti-immigrant laws, they should just listen to business owners in sectors such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, professional services, etc.

It’s time to end anti-immigrant bullying. Rhetoric based on prejudice will take a heavy toll. The country depends on immigrant labor.

Director de Informática Alvaro Gurdián Jr.

Administración

Alejandrina Rosales

Director de Circulación Alvaro Gurdián

Distribución

Leopoldo Rodríguez

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