Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed into law a tough immigration law Wednesday that targets irregular immigration and consolidates his controversial relocation program. The text was backed by the conservative majority of the state House of Representatives and Senate. It is expected to enter into force on July 1.
"We're preparing for some turbulent times when you have a president who has turned a blind eye to what's happened at the border," DeSantis said during the signing of the text on Democratic President Joe Biden, according to NBC News' local station in Tampa.
The governor denounced "Biden's border crisis", in reference to the pressure that the border between the United States and Mexico is currently experiencing before the imminent end of Title 42.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.AP
The law enacted by DeSantis provides 12 million dollars to the migrant resettlement initiative that he has promoted, and that last year materialized with the sending of a group of migrants who arrived in Texas to Martha's Vineyard, in Massachusetts, an action aimed at protesting against the immigration policy of the federal government.
It also prohibits local governments from funding organizations that issue identity documents to people who are in the country illegally and invalidates driver's licenses issued in other statesheld by unauthorized immigrants.
[What's behind DeSantis' immigration bill? Their intent is to "terrorize immigrants and their communities," according to experts]
It also requires hospitals that accept patients enrolled in Medicaid to include a citizenship question on admission forms, which critics of the new legislation say is intended to deter illegal immigrants from seeking medical care.
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DeSantis has made the fight against illegal migration one of the priorities of his agenda ahead of his likely candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections, whose candidacy he is expected to present in the coming weeks.
In addition, the governor himself described the text as a counterproposal to Biden's border policy: "We will continue to take action to protect Floridians from reckless federal open border policies," he said a few weeks ago.
Organizations that defend migrants denounce that the law defines with a "vague and very general" language who is in the country on a regular basis and, "in some cases, it seems that it intends to contradict what the federal immigration authorities say", which is who is responsible for deciding in the matter that the Florida Legislature seeks to regulate. Eduardo Vega, an immigration lawyer who practices in Miami, and Amien Kacou, a lawyer in Florida for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), explained to Noticias Telemundo.
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Although some of the bill's most controversial points were watered down or crossed out of the 50-page version passed by the state House — such as punishing people who travel to or live with undocumented immigrants within the state — experts warn that it is still a harsh measure.
[We explain in detail what will change for migrants from May 11]
The rule considers "human trafficking," and a third-degree felony, that someone "transports to this state" an immigrant who arrived in the country irregularly and "has not been inspected by the federal government since entry."
"A person commits a separate offense for each individual he transports to this state in violation of this section," it said.
