Immigrant Activists Rally Against ‘Consistent Dehumanization’ in Florida as They Face More Bills Targeting Them

Seven months after one of the strictest immigration laws in the nation went into effect, dozens of immigrant rights activists gathered in the state Capitol building on Thursday to speak out about what one person called the “never ending attacks on immigrants” in Florida.




“From 2019 we have experienced consistent dehumanization of immigrants with last year’s [Senate bill] 1718, which was the most egregious anti-immigrant policy in the history of our state,” said Tessa Petit, the co-executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

That law included provisions such as requiring employers with 25 or more employees to use the E-Verify system to vet the legal status of workers; banning the use of legally-issued out-of-state driver’s licenses from states that issue them regardless of immigration status, and requiring hospitals that receive Medicaid funding to ask their patients about their immigration status.

“Right when we were done with legislators separating families and creating a constant sense of fear in our communities, this year again we are seeing strong-handed bills that would greatly impact us such as community ID, criminalization for driving without a driver’s license, and changing child labor laws that will impact our children,” Petit said.

“Last year’s immigration bill caused fear and anxiety to many migrants working in Florida that led them to leaving the state at a time when we need workers now more than ever,” said Central Florida Democratic Sen. Victor Torres, specifically mentioning shortages in the agriculture, hospitality and construction industries.




“As a senator who’s Puerto Rican, you think about the impact this (2023) bill had on our community and throughout the state and how many people are looking for workers in all fields in the state of Florida,” Torres told the Phoenix. “There was no need to do this. We’re not a border state, and this is something that we should have opened up work visas for these folks, so we know where they’re at.”

2024 bills

So far in the 2024 session, there are more bills that advocates say target undocumented people, including a bill that would enhance the penalties for motorists found driving without a license and a proposal to rollback some child labor laws that they say could disproportionately affect the children of farmworkers.

The activists who gathered on the 4^th floor of the rotunda in the Capitol on Thursday spoke out in support of a proposal – SB 1598 – that Torres filed this year. It’s a measure that essentially would repeal major parts of the 2023 immigration law.

But at this point of the legislative session, it has little to no shot at passing this year.

Neither Torres’ bill in the Senate, nor its equivalent in the House (HB 1527), filed by North Miami Democratic Rep. Dotie Joseph, have received a hearing in the Legislature, but that didn’t diminish the enthusiasm of the advocates who spoke about the measure on Thursday.

Petit referenced a provision in the legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to be able to legally acquire a driver’s license, a policy that 20 other states currently allow, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.




“Florida’s restrictive requirements bars approximately 600,000 individuals from obtaining driver’s licenses, and the necessary insurance coverage,” she said. “This not only undermines public safety, but also stifles economic growth, and perpetuates unnecessary hardships, for countless families across the state. By extending eligibility for driver’s licenses, we’re not only ensuring that our roads are safer for all motorists, but also fostering a more robust and inclusive economy.”

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Florida Senate passed a memorial sponsored by Hernando County Republican Blaise Ingoglia urging the federal government to secure the southern border of the U.S. and to fix the legal immigration system.

–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix