As of July 1, Law SB 1718 enters into force in Florida, which establishes strong restrictions on undocumented immigrants, many of whom are Hispanic or Latino, for which reason this could generate “racial profiling” actions that affect other people.
“There is great danger [sobre el perfil racial]. Although that problem already exists in the state of Florida,” acknowledged Anne Janet Hernández Anderson, senior attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
In a Univision report, the lawyer explained that by having to apply the law, state and county police officers could “assume” that a Hispanic or Latino could be undocumented.
“It’s going to increase racial profiling by law enforcement officers, including police officers, sheriffs, highway patrol,” he acknowledged.
He warned that one of the guidelines of the law is to punish those who transport undocumented immigrants to Florida, which could lead to imprisonment for those people, even if they are family members.
“There is a high risk for people who drive vehicles with undocumented passengers,” warned Hernández Anderson. “They can be charged with third degree human smuggling, if [los pasajeros] They are adults or second degree if they are minors”.
The law enacted by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis seeks to discourage undocumented immigrants from settling in Florida by requiring employers with more than 25 workers to use the E-Verify system to confirm that the person has employment authorization in the United States .
In addition, the law ignores the driver’s licenses that other states grant to undocumented immigrants.
Hospitals operating with Medicaid are also being asked to question the immigration status of patients, which could cause people to avoid seeking care, even for emergencies.
Various industries, such as agriculture and services – which includes hotels, gardening and restaurants – as well as construction, have expressed concerns about the lack of employees and the effects on their businesses.
Civil organizations have also launched alerts about the effects of the new law.