Even before President-elect Donald Trump made mass deportation of undocumented immigrants a key focus of his campaign, Florida state lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have taken a hard line on those living in Florida.
Gov. DeSantis has already indicated that he will support the incoming president’s efforts, which include a promise to start deporting people immediately upon taking office in January.
The “most ambitious” crackdown in the country
Last year, Gov. DeSantis signed a law that he called the “most ambitious” crackdown on immigrants in the U.S. and their ability to live and work here. The law, SB 1718 included reforms like:
- Making it illegal to cross state lines into Florida with an undocumented person
- Requiring hospitals to ask for proof of immigration status
- Allowing local jurisdictions to establish their own “community identification” requirements
- Making driver’s licenses issued by other states to undocumented immigrants invalid in Florida
The law also strengthens E-Verify regulations and consequences for employers who violate them.
Increased psychological and financial stress
A recent study by researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) looked at the economic and psychological strain that aggressive immigration reform efforts place on communities.
Of the over 460 immigrants (documented and undocumented) studied by the USF team, many reported being concerned about their access to medical care and education. Nearly half said they knew someone who left Florida because of the law. Even U.S. citizens who were surveyed reported increased financial as well as psychological stress caused by fear for undocumented relatives.
One of the study’s authors noted, “Florida has become this smaller-scale experiment of cracking down on undocumented immigrants. As that goes nationwide, come this next administration, this study could foreshadow effects that we might see” throughout the country.
Although most immigration reforms are aimed at those who are undocumented, as the study found, they can have “spillover” effects beyond their intended targets. Anyone who has questions or concerns about themselves or a loved one can benefit by getting experienced legal guidance.