Florida lawmakers consider bill targeting illegal immigration
WIMAUMA, Fla. - After hashing it out at the state’s capitol Thursday, Florida lawmakers could pass a bill on illegal immigration Friday.
Senate Bill 1718 and House Bill 1617 propose making it a felony to transport an undocumented immigrant, along with stricter rules for businesses and even hospitals. Some immigration activists said that harms not just immigrants but the economy.
Ana Lamb, a Hillsborough County community activist for immigrants, held a meeting at a Wimauma church Thursday to talk with families and young people who are US citizens of immigrant parents about the bill’s impacts.
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"Their own families are being a target of a political game that doesn’t have to be," said Lamb. "We want the young people to remember and to take action and be the voice of their parents."
Lamb, a business owner, said she has been advocating for immigrants for more than 20 years ever since she became as a US citizen.
"I’m an immigrant, so I was there one day with that fear of going out and not knowing that I was able to come back to my house," she said.
Ana Lamb teaching a class on immigration.
She said she sees harm in Florida’s proposed immigration laws.
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"We have you know people in fear, and this can become a crisis. We already saw that in Arizona. We don’t want another Arizona here in Florida," said Lamb.
The bill would make it a felony to transport an undocumented immigrant, require businesses to check immigration status of new workers and hospitals to collect data on whether patients are in the country legally. Illegal immigration has been a priority for Governor Ron DeSantis.
"The problem is that we keep on, as states, we keep on creating incentives for people to come across illegally," State Senator Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, the bill’s sponsor. "Until the states push back, which is what we are doing now, the federal government will never act. We are trying to force them into acting."
The Florida senate took up the bill on Thursday, turning down amendments from Democrats.
"There are a lot of issues and challenges with this immigration bill. I don’t know if it’s retaliatory or what the purpose is behind it." State Senator Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach.
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The purpose for Lamb is clear, showing lawmakers why they need support instead.
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"We showed during the COVID time that we were essential workers," said Lamb. "We want our state to focus on what is important because this is not priority. They need to work for us and give us the security on other topics and let the federal government to handle it."
Lamb said she is encouraging families to write emails and send messages to their lawmakers about the bill. State Senator Ingoglia said the bill is a chance to show that Florida is serious about immigration. The bill is headed for a vote in the Florida Senate Friday.