On Tuesday, civil rights organizations requested a federal judge to halt Florida authorities from implementing a portion of the new state immigration law that makes it a crime to transport someone illegally entering the United States. However, the judge quickly rejected the request due to a procedural error.
The part of the legislation referred to as Section 10 creates risks for individuals attempting to reach medical care, spend time with family, or go to work, according to a group motion, part of a lawsuit from July against the law.
The motion stated, “Section 10 disrupts the ability of numerous individual plaintiffs to lead their daily lives,” it sought a temporary suspension of enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman almost immediately turned down the motion for a temporary injunction, citing a technicality, explaining that Gov. Ron DeSantis and other defendants, including various Florida prosecutors, were not adequately notified of the motion. He mentioned that the request could be resubmitted by civil rights groups.
The new immigration legislation, supported by DeSantis, enhances his migrant relocation scheme and curtails social services for immigrants without permanent legal status. Additionally, it mandates businesses with over 25 employees to use E-Verify to verify legal work eligibility in the U.S… It requires Medicaid-accepting hospitals to ask about citizenship on intake forms.
DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has dispatched Florida National Guard troops for border security in Texas and arranged for charter flights transferring migrants from Texas to other regions.
The governor’s office and his press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, were contacted for comment via email.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami’s federal court, asserts that the Florida law is unconstitutional as it is overridden by federal law on immigration matters, overlooks due process rights, and its wording is ambiguous.
In the Tuesday motion, the civil rights organizations cited examples, including a grandmother who could be arrested for transporting her grandson, who has a petition for immigration relief outstanding, or a Catholic deacon who transports people to immigration-related appointments.
ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project attorney Spencer Amdur described the law as cruel, saying, “It menaces Floridians with imprisonment for performing the most mundane activities, such as commuting to work, visiting family, or taking children to soccer games.”
