Farmworker Communities Take Action against SB1718 on July 1st

The widely unpopular, anti-human rights laws that were born out of Florida's 2023 Legislative Session went into affect on July 1st. For months now, our community has been protesting these bills, particularly SB1718 which puts harmful restrictions on work, healthcare, travel, and more for immigrants. With over 4.5 million (over 20% of the FL population) immigrants in the state,  communities everywhere will feel the effects of this awful law. In response to SB1718 officially going into affect, there were protests, marches, and events all throughout the state. All five offices of the Farmworker Association were involved in  Florida's demonstrations that day.

SB1718 has already caused significant harm to immigrants both with and without regulated legal status. Now that the bill is officially in effect, we expect the harm to continue and to worsen. One of our concerns is the manor in which SB1718 will be enforced. Racial profiling is all but required for maintaining the new law. For example, drivers licenses from states that issue them to undocumented immigrants are now invalid in the state- but how can that possibly be regulated? With practically all of Florida's economy balancing on tourism, people come in and out of the state from all over the country (and the world). For the sake of what this law is structured to enforce, it does not make sense to enforce it on any white-passing, road-tripping families on their way to Disney, who officers can "safely assume" have regulated immigration status. Even if SB1718 was meant to extend to everyone, law enforcement doesn't have the resources for that. The only option for upholding this law is to racially profile.

So, in a demonstration of the great displeasure with and general unpopularity of SB1718, communities all throughout the state organized in protest. The Farmworker Association of Florida will continue to advocate against legislation that harms us and our community. Resistance will certainly continue as injustice pursues Floridians.   

by Finn Spencer