Florida’s new immigration law was the subject of a local rally Tuesday in the wake of news of a new legal challenge.
The American Civil Liberties Unions and Southern Poverty Law Center are among five civil rights groups that plan to file suit claiming the measure poses a threat to the rights and well-being of all Floridians.
State
Floridians worried about future of immigration in the state
At Currie Park in West Palm Beach, a few advocates gathered to share concerns over recent measures passed by the legislature.
Their discontent is partly with Senate Bill 1718, the new immigration law that just went into effect Saturday.
"Where people can’t even be comfortable driving with their family members to school … to an emergency going to a hospital. They have to live in fear at work," Daniel Morgan, a rally attendee, said.
When he signed the measure into law, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was to fight the "Biden border crisis."
"Where is this president's energy? Where is his vigor? Where is his commitment to the cause? He's just sitting around doing nothing," the governor said at an event in Jacksonville in May.
The new law's provisions include penalties for knowingly transporting undocumented people into the state and E-verify employment screenings for new hires for companies with at least 25 employees.
Florida will no longer recognize out -of-state drivers' licenses for the undocumented, and hospitals will also be required to ask whether someone is lawfully in the country
Ira Kurzban, a South Florida immigration attorney not involved in the lawsuit, said the Florida law is in many respects unconstitutional.
He said there are a number of problematic measures in the new law, one surrounding the issue of transporting undocumented people, which he said has already been resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Because the federal government has the authority to make those decisions, not any state, you could imagine how chaotic the law would be if each state decided to make its own rules about immigration," Kurzban said.
Kurzban added a bigger problem is that you’re putting enforcement in the hands of those who know little about the issue.
"Florida Highway Patrol. Police officers in cities … they have so many issues that are more important. They're now being charged with enforcing this law," Kurzban said.
Before its passage, Republican backers of the measure in Tallahassee said it would act as a deterrent to a migrant influx.
No word yet when or where, the lawsuit against the new law will be filed.
We reached out to the governor’s office for a response and didn't hear back.
