Anne Geggis
Republican state Representatives urged a group of Hispanic religious leaders to counsel their flocks not to abandon their jobs in Florida — even if they are not in the country legally.
Video clips now making the rounds on social media show Republican Reps. Alina Garcia and Rick Roth speaking to those assembled at a Hialeah meeting with the Asociación de Ministros hispanos del Sur de La Florida (Hispanic Ministers Association of South Florida)
The lawmakers said the new law is meant “more as a political bill, not policy.” And it’s meant to keep undocumented migrants from coming to Florida — not to affect those who are already here.
But bad publicity about the law is already having an effect, Roth said.
“I’m a farmer and the farmers are mad as hell,” said Roth, who grows vegetables, sugarcane, rice, sweet corn, celery, lettuce and radishes in Palm Beach County. “They (workers) are already starting to move to Georgia and other states.“
Roth spoke to the group through an interpreter and continued: “It’s urgent that you talk to all your people and convince them that you have resources, state Representatives and other people that can explain the bill to you.”
The law (SB 1718), which promoters say aims to regulate illegal immigration more strictly than any other state, prompted a civil rights organization, the League of United Latin American Citizens, to issue a travel advisory about Florida. The sweeping bill touches on many aspects of life including health care, transportation and employment.
Reached later, Roth said that the law’s provision that requires employers of 25 or more people to go through the federal E-verify system to ensure employees are in the country legally applies only to those who are hired on or after July 1, when the law goes into effect.
“The bill is 100% supposed to scare you,” Roth said.
Garcia echoed the same sentiment on the clip.
“This is a bill to scare people from coming to the state of Florida,” Garcia is shown in the video saying. “It’s done its purpose.”
But Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, who carried the bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed, said that Roth and Garcia appear to be misinformed. The new law penalizes anyone who “knowingly” hires an illegal immigrant, even if it’s just one, and regardless of when they were hired.
He also took issue with Garcia’s contention in the video that says the law has “no teeth” and that it is a political bill not meant as policy.
“I think it’s a huge deterrent for people coming to Florida illegally because we are taking away the magnets and the incentives but also deal with current illegal immigrants,” Ingoglia said. “(The Department of Economic Opportunity) has investigatory powers. They can go in and investigate whether a company has knowingly hired illegal immigrants.”
If a business has been found to have knowingly hired between one and 10 undocumented immigrants, for example, that business could have its business licenses suspended for 30 days. The greater the number of undocumented workers, the more the penalties escalate, up to revoking licenses to do business, Ingoglia said.
In the same Twitter thread, Roth is shown telling someone the law applies to permanent employees, not seasonal ones.
“The message is, ‘Come back and be ready to work,’” he said. “We think it’s going to be OK.”
Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani said that wasn’t her impression of what the new law aims to do. She said she’s heard about construction sites that now have half the needed workers.
“Florida is putting a pretty clear line in the sand that we don’t welcome immigrants and now we’re experiencing the consequences of that,” she said. “Welcome to the reality of your policy decisions.”
12 comments
PeterH
June 6, 2023 at 9:03 pm
This is a huge DeSantis disaster happening as I type. Florida agriculture, interstate trucking and the hospitality business is dependent on documented and undocumented workers. Florida’s and National low unemployment has put a strain on hiring.
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Meatball Ron
June 6, 2023 at 9:18 pm
Don’t worry I’m sure there are plenty of MAGA republicans ready to go work in the fields!
Timbo
June 7, 2023 at 8:54 am
But can their gub’mint supplied mobility scooters navigate the fields?
Michael K
June 6, 2023 at 9:36 pm
So much hate.
Mercury Shampoo Ed 👍
June 6, 2023 at 10:40 pm
Yeah right.. this stance is backed by a million racists, far right police state neo nazis, and anti-government terrorists. Still not gonna win mini Hitler an election.
Dont Say FLA
June 7, 2023 at 7:32 am
Let’s ignore shooting victims for a bit and save our thoughts and prayers for keeping both these mo’s that destroyed Florida, Meatwad RonDe Santis and Donald Javina Trump out of D.C.
John Barron
June 7, 2023 at 8:16 am
Meatball and Leona continue to destroy FLA!!! They are not fit for the White House!!! Trump is the only way!!!!!
ScienceBLVR
June 7, 2023 at 8:53 am
The devil is always in the details, right? “Knowingly hired?” I see a loop hole coming.. speaking of, seen on a bumper sticker, “Annoy a Republican- help someone” Kinda says it all, I’m thinking of having t-shirts made.
James A Cameron
June 7, 2023 at 9:01 am
This is what happens to your state when you give up ‘book learnin’! You get dumb idiots running the state (also bigots, but we’re used to that) who don’t know how to think through even something as simple as this issue. It’s more like they are blinded by their hatred/bigotry and can’t think of anything else. Good job Ron!!! Glad you did this so that you’ll never get into the White House (except maybe as a janitor).
“All of the USA outside of Floriduh’….where DeSantis’s presidential campain goes to die!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha And his ugly (in personality) wife is exactly like Donald’s first whore and her jacket with “I don’t care, do you?” in regards to immigrants too. They are simply garbage people.
Rob Desantos
June 7, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Florida GOP lawmakers are liars.
C-Lei
June 8, 2023 at 1:53 pm
There is no excuse for them to be here illegally. The government needs to simply issue enough seasonal work permits to match the needs of agriculture, but NO OTHER BUSINESSES. No construction, restaurant, landscaping, hospitality, maid service jobs, etc. If these businesses cannot pay enough to keep citizens and legal residents on the payroll, they deserve to fail.
Comments are closed.