JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A bill aimed at curbing illegal immigration in Florida has been sent to the Governor’s desk after clearing the Florida House Tuesday afternoon.
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The bill contains nearly all of the measures Governor Ron DeSantis called for during a press conference in Jacksonville back in February.
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Among those asks, most businesses with 25 or more employees will soon be required to screen the immigration status of new hires through the federal E-Verify system.
However, there are carveouts for day laborers.
There’s also $12 million for the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program, which led to dozens of migrants being sent from Texas to Florida and onward to Martha’s Vineyard last year.
“Today is the day that we’ll make that decision to take a stand and say we are defending, we are protecting our state,” House sponsor State Representative Kiyan Michael (R-Jacksonville Beach) said.
Related Story: Governor Ron DeSantis unveils legislation aimed at preventing illegal immigration
The bill also requires hospitals to report the cost of treating undocumented patients, a provision Democrats staunchly opposed during final debate.
“Those who don’t have status will not seek medical care anymore. Period,” State Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) said.
Additionally, the bill makes it a felony to bring someone into the state if the person transporting them should ‘reasonably’ know their passenger doesn’t have legal status and it bars undocumented immigrants from obtaining government-issued IDs or practicing law in Florida.
Democrats argued the legislation is a tool to dehumanize undocumented Floridians.
“They’re not demons or imps or extraterrestrials or terrorists. No. No they’re not. They’re not drug or human traffickers or rapists for that matter. They’re mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. They are families,” State Representative Susan Valdes (D-Tampa) said.
But Republicans contended with millions crossing the border on an annual basis, the state has to do something to curb the influx.
Read: Report calls for improved oversight, management at immigration detention centers
“No one in the front row doesn’t like immigrants, in the front rows. We love them all, but we think it is our job, it is incumbent upon us as Americans to make that decision about who can come and when. This bill will help that problem. This bill will move us forward,” State Representative Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) said.
The Governor had also called for undocumented students to be barred from receiving in state tuition at Florida colleges and universities.
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That provision, which could have impacted thousands of students here in the state, didn’t make it into the final bill.
