Sweeping immigration bill readied for passage amid Democrats’ protest

The flights to Martha's Vineyard may have broken Florida's own laws. Image via AP.

An immigration reform measure that would crack down on hiring immigrants in the U.S. illegally, criminalize bringing a migrant into the state and require hospitals to collect data on patients’ immigration status has been readied for final passage.

Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia’s bill (SB 1718) has Gov. Ron DeSantis’ backing and is said to be one of the strictest state-level immigration regulations.

The question of whether it infringes on the federal government’s role in immigration was roundly debated as it went through committee hearings. Ingoglia said the time has come for states to take matters in their own hands because the feds have failed to solve the crisis of undocumented immigrants coming in through the country’s southern border.

His wide-ranging bill would make it so that 16 states’ driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants are void; prohibit counties from working with nonprofits to provide some sort of identification for undocumented migrants; and criminalize bringing migrants here from out of state.

The bill’s companion in the House (HB 1617) has been added to the second reading calendar.

The Senate version was rolled over for a third reading on Thursday, but not before some questions about the money that was set aside last year for transporting undocumented people to other parts of the country.

The Governor made a splash in the national media last September when he brought 48 Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to the swank Martha’s Vineyard, where a number of national celebrities have retreats. The bill provides for adding another $12 million to the fund for relocating migrants.

Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo of Miami noted that only a fraction of the money appropriated last year has been spent — and some of it not very wisely. He cited a recent muddle that involved the Division of Emergency Management booking a cruise ship to support the operation responding to the migrant influx, only to realize it couldn’t be used because there was nowhere for the ship to dock.

“Do you think it’s good stewardship of taxpayer dollars to go give another $12 million to an agency that just blew a million dollars by not checking to see if they had a permit to dock the boat?” Pizzo asked.

Ingoglia replied: “Obviously the state of Florida sees value in the program.”

Democratic Senators pitched numerous attempts to amend the bill which did not advance.

Democratic Sen. Lori Berman of Boca Raton warned that the requirement for hospitals to collect immigration status of patients would result in people waiting longer than they should to get medical treatment — and proposed removing that part of the legislation.

“What’s going to happen if we don’t adopt this amendment, you’re going to have people who come to the hospital when they’re very sick … waiting until the very end until they get treatment,” Berman said, predicting more preterm births and seizures from preeclampsia. “We are going to be putting people’s health at risk.”

Ingoglia simply said it was an unfriendly amendment and refused to debate it.

Numerous religious groups are on record opposing the bill. And Wednesday, 80 health care providers undersigned a letter under the banner the Florida Health Justice Project warning of the law’s effect that was presented to the Senate.

“Deterring any segment of our population from seeking health care is not only dangerous and life threatening for individuals, but negatively impacts public health and undermines our efforts to improve the health of all,” the letter says. “In a state where one in five people are immigrants, less healthy people impact entire communities.”