New lawsuit challenges DeSantis immigration law, filed by advocates.
American Immigration Advocates Challenge Florida’s New Immigration Law
A group of immigration law, filed by advocates.”>passionate left-wing immigration advocates has taken a bold step by challenging Governor Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) recently enacted immigration law in a federal lawsuit. They argue that this legislation is not only ”anti-immigrant,” but also infringes upon people’s fundamental right to due process.
The law, known as Senate Bill 1718, went into effect on July 1 and grants Florida authorities the power to arrest and charge individuals with human trafficking if they knowingly transport undocumented immigrants into the state. However, these advocacy groups fear that this law could lead to “unlawful arrest, prosecution, and harassment.”
“[The law] puts thousands of Floridians and residents of other states—both citizens and noncitizens alike—at risk of being arrested, charged, and prosecuted with a felony for transporting a vaguely-defined category of immigrants into Florida,” the lawsuit alleges. “Families may be unable to visit each other across state lines. Parents who live near the state border may be unable to drive their children to medical appointments or soccer matches.”
The plaintiffs in this lawsuit include prominent organizations such as the American Immigration Council, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU Florida, and Americans for Immigrant Justice.
“Florida’s draconian Senate Bill 1718, which went into effect on July 1, 2023, includes a host of provisions designed to marginalize immigrants and purportedly enforce federal immigration law,” states the American Immigration Council. “Plaintiffs contend that with Section 10, Florida has impermissibly intruded on the federal government’s central role in regulating immigration and violated their right to due process.”
These groups are urging the Miami federal court to declare the new law “unconstitutional” due to its alleged deviation from federal immigration policies. Notably, the law mandates Florida hospitals that accept Medicare to verify the immigration status of patients and prohibits undocumented immigrants from driving in Florida, even if they possess a driver’s license from another state.
Governor DeSantis, who signed the bill in May, defended the law by stating, “The Biden Border Crisis has wreaked havoc across the United States and has put Americans in danger. In Florida, we will not stand idly by while the federal government abandons its lawful duties to protect our country.”
In addition to its controversial provisions, the law also allocates $12 million in funding for transporting illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities. This move comes less than a year after Governor DeSantis transported 50 immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and has recently transported illegal immigrants to other sanctuary cities.
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