Enforcing Florida’s new immigration law; police, locals react

Florida’s new immigration law went into effect over the weekend. It requires any private employer with 25 or more employees to use the E-Verify system.

Those opposed to the law believe it will cause a mass exodus of Florida’s migrant population, but the impact of the law will all depend on how strictly it’s enforced.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office has made it clear it will be enforced. In a statement, they said, “Any business that exploits this immigration crisis by employing illegal aliens instead of Floridians will be held accountable.”

The question is how the state will enforce the law and what role will local troopers, officers and deputies play.

“Anyone who transports someone in their vehicle, for example,” said Elina Santana, an immigration lawyer. “so if you have a family member that’s out of status, a parent, let’s say, and you are a U.S. citizen, and you transport this person to the supermarket to do groceries, that will actually now be criminalized as a felony.”

Migrants, some with documents and some without, fear the repercussions.

Oved, a construction worker, is undocumented.

He fled Guatemala eight years ago for a better life here in Southwest Florida. He said he’s afraid he will be stopped by the police, arrested and deported.

“I do not want to go back to my country,” Oved said, speaking in Spanish.

He’d rather stay here, where he has a job.

The state cannot deport anyone, but Florida’s new immigration law allows the state to punish people who hire undocumented workers and those who bring them into the state.

It remains to be seen whether Oved will be able to keep that job and stay in Southwest Florida in the coming days and weeks and months.

In a statement, Florida Highway Patrol said, “Troopers will be briefed/trained in regards to new laws and enforcement if applicable.”

Fort Myers Police also issued a statement, “The manner in which we currently police will remain the same, here at the local level. We are here to serve and protect all of our community.”

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will be handling most of the enforcement when it comes to punishing businesses who break this new law.