Florida Immigration Law: What Is the First Federal Lawsuit Against DeSantis Regulations About

As expected, the Saturday, July 1, 2023 protests marked the beginning of the enactment of the controversial immigration law promulgated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Let’s not criminalize immigrants,” “We’re not criminals,” and “Florida depends on immigrants” were some of the messages carried on posters (banners) by groups of protesters gathered in Homestead, an agricultural town south of Miami.

The new legal regulations continued to be rejected not only by citizens and organizations that watch over immigrants’ rights, but also by Mexico’s foreign ministry, in a statement released Saturday.

Florida Immigration Law: These are the measures against undocumented immigrants

And if that weren’t enough, at least four organizations have announced that they will resort to legal arguments to challenge the DeSantis bill.

The lawsuit, several media outlets reported, “will focus on the provisions of Section 10, which criminalizes the transportation to Florida of people who may have entered the country without federal inspection.”

Lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ law

The SB 1718 law is considered “draconian” and “cruel,” for which reason civil rights groups across the United States announced Saturday that they are filing a federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Telemundo reported.

That US media expanded that, through a statement, “the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Americans for Immigrant Justice group and the American Immigration Council said the law is “discriminatory to immigrants” and “threatens the rights and well-being of every individual in the state.”

Antonia Catalán, a Mexican activist, told the EFE news agency that there is “panic” among the undocumented migrants who have decided to stay in Florida, unlike many others who have moved north to work in states such as Georgia and North America. Carolina and North Carolina. South.

What does DeSantis’ proposed end of the birthright mean for the United States?

How will the claim be made?

According to what was reported by Telemundo, the lawsuit will be filed against DeSantis, on behalf of several people and the Florida Farm Workers Association, an immigrant rights organization, claiming that the law “not only violates but undermines the fundamental rights of people in the state rather the cultural wealth and economic contributions of immigrants.”

“The lawsuit will specifically focus on the harmful provisions outlined in Section 10, which criminalize the transportation of persons to Florida who may have entered the country without federal inspection,” they added in the joint statement.

This attack on our immigrant communities will not continue. SB 1718 is purposely designed to inflict cruelty and is unconstitutional.

joint statement

“Our lawsuit is designed to ensure the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual in the state, regardless of their immigration status. No one should live in fear or be discriminated against based on their immigration status, their presumed immigration status, or the immigration status of their family members,” said Telesur, Kate Melloy Goettel, legal director for litigation for the American Immigration Council.

Amien Kacou, a Florida ACLU attorney quoted in EFE, stressed that SB1718 is “an assault on the fibers of our state” as well as “an extreme act of force majeure by the state government aimed at fomenting fear and criminalizing immigrants”. communities.

what did mexico say

The State Department (Ministry or Secretary of State) believed that the so-called Florida law “will affect the human rights of thousands of people, Mexican girls and boys,” the AFP news agency reported.

He added that said regulations “exacerbate hostile environments that could lead to acts of hate or crime against the migrant community” and “do not reflect their valuable contribution to the economy, society and culture of Florida and the country.”

In addition, according to the AFP, the government of Mexico has announced that it will “use all available resources” to defend the rights and dignity of the Mexican people in Florida.

Florida Immigration Coalition (FLIC) spokeswoman Rosa Elera also acknowledged to EFE that the community is “scared” but urged immigrants to fight for their rights and trust that community organizations will protect them.

For Paul R. Chávez, senior supervising attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Immigrant Justice Project, “SB 1718 is unconstitutional and undermines our democracy.”

Elera asked to “have faith” and claimed, “They won’t intimidate us.”