Ron DeSantis Faces Legal Challenge Over Anti-Immigration Law

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing the first legal challenge to a sweeping anti-immigration law that recently went into effect in his state. The Republican governor, who has made hardening Florida's immigration laws a key priority, is seeking to sway voters who favor hardline immigration policies away from Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Senate Bill 1718, which took effect on July 1, cracks down on employers who hire immigrants in the country illegally. The law requires any business with more than 25 employees to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines if employees can legally work in the U.S., or face a loss of business license or fines of $1,000 per day per employee. SUBSCRIBE NOW FROM JUST $1 > Ron DeSantis on Border Security Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a question during a campaign rally on June 26, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. Gov. DeSantis engaged residents and voters while speaking on border security at the event. BRANDON BELL/GETTY IMAGES It also prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to immigrants lacking permanent legal status in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses held by people living in the country illegally. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Florida, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and American Immigration Council have announced they will file a lawsuit challenging a section of SB 1718 that criminalizes the transport of undocumented immigrants into, within or out of Florida. The lawsuit will be filed against DeSantis on behalf of several individuals and the Florida Farmworkers Association, an immigrant rights organization. SIGN UP FOR NEWSWEEK’S EMAIL UPDATES > "This lawsuit is going to seek an injunction, looking to stop the implementation of Section 10" of the law, Paul Chavez, a senior supervising attorney for SPLC's Immigrants Justice Project, told CBS News. The lawsuit will argue that section "is unconstitutional on its base, we don't need any facts, we don't need anybody to be arrested." Section 10 of the law says a person commits a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, if they "knowingly and willfully transports into this state an individual whom the person knows, or reasonably should know, has entered the United States in violation of the law and has not been inspected by the Federal Government since his or her unlawful entry from another country." READ MORE Florida's anti-immigration law will impact the state in five major ways Florida hospitals asking patients about immigration status spark outrage Republicans urge immigrants to stay in Florida, fearing new law's impact Florida Republican who voted for anti-immigrant bill admits it's doing harm Those found traveling with five or more people would be charged with a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The law provides no exception for those traveling with undocumented partners or family members, or for charities or NGOs helping migrants, who would also be considered "human smugglers." A spokesperson for the SPLC told Newsweek: "We don't have a specific date set for filing but it will be soon." "Florida's anti-immigrant law perpetuates harmful stereotypes and fosters an atmosphere of fear and hostility," Kate Melloy Goettel, legal director of litigation at the American Immigration Council, said in a statement. "Our lawsuit seeks 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 face discrimination based on their immigration status, their presumed immigration status or the immigration status of their family members." SB 1718 has prompted concerns about Florida's economy and a labor shortage, as the state's largest industries including agriculture and construction, rely heavily on immigrant labor. DeSantis' office has billed the law as "the strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation" in the country. The legislation "gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration," DeSantis said in a statement in May. Newsweek has contacted DeSantis' office and the Florida Farmworkers Association, via email, for comment. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.