Republicans Urge Immigrants to Stay in Florida, Fearing New Law's Impact

A handful of Florida Republicans have implored immigrants to stay in the state in the wake of recent laws signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Last month, Florida enacted a new bill, SB 1718, that is set to introduce strict new anti-immigration rules once it goes into full effect on July 1. Among its provision are requirements that businesses with 25 employees or more utilize E-Verify, a program that tracks whether individuals are legally able to work in the U.S., and that hospitals collect certain information on undocumented patients.

The E-Verify requirement has caused alarm among Republicans with constituencies close to the border with Mexico or that use considerable migrant labor. With the system in place, there is worry about businesses not being able to tap into the immigrant labor force to which they are accustomed, resulting in mass labor shortages.

On Monday morning, GOP Florida State Reps. Alina Garcia, Rick Roth and Juan Fernandez-Barquin spoke at an event in Hialeah, Florida, about the impending implications of SB 1718. At one point, Roth, as captured in a video shared by political activist Thomas Kennedy, said that the bill is meant to "scare" immigrants and urged those in attendance to convince their immigrant acquaintances to remain in the state.

"This bill is 100 percent supposed to scare you," Roth said. "I'm a farmer and the farmers are mad as hell. We are losing employees that are already starting to move to Georgia and other states. It's urgent that you talk to all your other people and convince them that you have resources, state representatives, other people that can explain the bill to you."

Roth also at one point said that SB 1718 was more of a "political bill."

Newsweek has reached out via email to the press team of DeSantis for comment.

In another video shared by Kennedy, Rep. Garcia also says that SB 1718 is meant to scare people away from coming to Florida, adding that the new rules have "no teeth."

"This is a bill basically to scare people from coming to the state of Florida," Garcia said. "And I think it's done its purpose...This bill really doesn't have any teeth."

In a statement sent to Newsweek by a media consultant representing State Rep. Fernandez-Barquin (R-FL), he dismissed the notion that the bill is a "scare tactic" and stressed his support for it.

"To date, over 6.3 million illegal immigrants have unlawfully entered into the United States due to the negligence of President [Joe] Biden enforcing immigration law. This is not only shameful, but a lack of respect to our law abiding citizens, and those who have gone through the immigration process through legal avenues," the statement read. "During yesterday's forum, some of my colleagues dismissed SB 1718 as merely a 'scare tactic.' I, in no way, share their opinion."

Fernandez-Barquin continued: "Florida's unlawful immigration bill is centered on law and order and ensuring that our state fills the void the federal government has neglected to act upon. It is my belief and understanding that based on the merits of the law, Governor Ron DeSantis intends to follow and enforce this piece of legislation to its fullest extent. I voted for this bill, support this bill, and applaud our governor for making this a priority."

The bill has already caused a stir in Florida and beyond. Latin American truckers encouraged each other on social media, shortly after the bill was signed into law, to boycott the state and refuse to make deliveries there.

Updated 06/06/2023, 11:52 a.m. ET: Added statement from State Rep. Fernandez-Barquin.

Updated 06/06/2023, 1:02 p.m. ET: Changed reference from "lawyer" to "media consultant."