Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Florida this Thursday as part of the “A Day Without Immigrants” mobilization, called in response to the anti-immigration measures promoted by state governor Ron DeSantis such as SB 1718.
The organizations that called for the demonstration asked residents -particularly immigrants- not to go to their work spaces and not spend on items and services, to demonstrate the economic impact on the state of laws such as the one mentioned that will come into force on July.
Media such as Tampa Bay 10 reported that many workers did not show up in construction spaces and agricultural fields. Additionally, restaurants, stores and other small businesses did not open as a show of solidarity.
Call participants protested on the streets of Tampa, Miami, Plant City and Wimauma, as well as in areas of Manatee and Sarasota counties. Some of those present carried signs that read “Deportations affect families” and “Keep families together”. Some carried flags of Mexico, Honduras and other Hispanic countries.
“We just want to show the Government and Florida, especially in Plant City, where their fresh strawberries grow, that we did not come to take the work of others,” Eli Aguilar declared in the middle of the protest. “We are here to work and take those jobs that others don’t want because they pay little,” he said.
In response to the protest event, DeSantis’s press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, accused the press of releasing allegedly inaccurate data about the scope of the approved measures.
“The media has been deliberately vague about the distinction between legal and illegal immigration to create this outrage based on false premises,” the spokesperson said. “Any business that exploits this crisis by employing undocumented immigrants instead of Floridians will be held accountable. All countries defend their borders with the sovereign right that covers them ”, he stated.
On May 10, DeSantis signed SB 1718 into law, which among other things expands the requirements for businesses with 25 or more employees to use the “E-Verify” system to determine if a potential worker is in the country legally.
Additionally, a person who transports an undocumented immigrant to Florida could face up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine per violation. “If you are caught transporting five or more undocumented immigrants or one undocumented unaccompanied minor or have a prior conviction for human trafficking, you are subject to a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison,” DeSantis previously explained.
“At the end of the day, you wouldn’t have the problem of illegal immigration if you didn’t have so many people facilitating it,” the governor said.
The measures signed by the Republican, who aspires to become president of the United States, are considered among the most restrictive against the migrant community at the state level.
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