The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, announced that the government of Mexico would mobilize legal resources against the anti-immigrant law of the United States state of Florida with the aim of curbing the arbitrariness. of the American authorities against the Mexicans.
“In the case of Florida, we have already reviewed the law, I will be there on Sunday, I will meet with compatriots and consuls, to file all the legal resources that we have to prevent any arbitrariness by the authorities ,” the Chancellor declared this Tuesday, May 16, in the framework of the inauguration of the SRE’s office in the Municipality of Salamanca.
The foreign minister stressed that although Mexico respects the internal life of the United States, it will not stop protecting its citizens abroad.
Ébrard Casaubon pointed out that United States officials say they are a nation that protects human rights, but to the contrary, the laws approved in Florida, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, “are inhumane and violative of an essential right of the people.” are opposite.”
“The governor of Florida wants to gain popularity in the most racist areas of the state of Florida by virtue of racist legislation,” the secretary said, highlighting the importance of migrants as labor for the neighboring country to the north.
Ebrard said, “The United States owes so much to immigrants, it owes everything to them,” as he added that without them, Florida’s economy would suffer an economic collapse. “Spanish-speaking immigrants are the ones who move to Florida,” he said.
What does the anti-immigrant law enacted by DeSantis establish?
The legislation, promulgated by Ron DeSantis, which was approved by the Florida Legislature weeks ago, contemplates criminal sanctions for those who conceal, harbor, transport, or enter the United States illegally. are or protect them; Establishes the following measures:
- Under the measure, transporting someone who entered the country illegally could be punishable by up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine per person.
- Businesses with at least 25 migrant workers are required to verify the immigration status of workers in a federal database called E-Verify.
- In addition, it imposes penalties for employers who employ “unauthorized aliens”.
- It also prohibits Florida counties and municipalities from allocating funds to organizations to issue identification documents.
- It obliges hospitals to notify that if they treat expatriates, they must inform the immigration status of patients in admission records.
- It also notes that some driver’s licenses and IDs issued to irregular immigrants by other states will not be valid in Florida.
- In addition, it increases the maximum penalty for employing, contracting or referring undocumented immigrants to public or private positions.
According to DeSantis, the immigration law would serve to crack down on the growing “threat” posed by illegal immigration, which he attributes to the failure of the Joe Biden administration to secure the borders.
The legislation seeks to inject US$12 million into DeSantis’ controversial migrant flight program, which gained national prominence in September 2022 after moving nearly 50 immigrants with the support of planes sent from Florida on a flight from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Began to be known
Although the law will take effect by July of this year, CNN reported that there is alarm and confusion among communities of immigrant workers in Florida, due to posts circulating on social networks that claim to show vacancies at locations and farms where immigrants are being held. Work conventionally, that is, regardless of immigrant status.
While there are posts on TikTok from people claiming to be Latino truckers who will refuse to bring goods into Florida in protest of the anti-immigrant law.
It should be noted that Democrats tried to soften the most controversial points of the bill approved in Florida, a series of amendments that have been rejected by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
