In his latest bid to become literally Hitler, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed numerous bills passed by his state’s practically Nazi legislature, and over 200 laws went into effect over the weekend. Among these was SB 1718, “An act relating to immigration,” and it is a thing of beauty. It enhances safety and security for all: citizens, legal residents, and exploited illegal aliens. It affirms basic law and order. And it puts America (specifically Florida, because DeSantis isn’t trying to tell other states what to do) first. In fact, it’s so common-sensical and law-abiding, it almost makes one weep for how far our national standards have fallen. Let’s take a look at what the new law does, as per the governor’s website. The act:
- Requires employers to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of employees, and fines employers who fail to use E-Verify $1,000 per day.
- Suspends licenses of any employer who knowingly employs illegal aliens, and makes using a fake ID to gain employment a felony.
- Enhances penalties for human smuggling, including making knowingly transporting five or more illegal aliens or a single illegal alien minor a second-degree felony subject to a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison.
- Provides $12 million to continue the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program to relocate illegal immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions.
- Bans local governments and NGOs from issuing identification documents to illegal aliens and invalidates all out-of-state driver licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens.
- Requires hospitals to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal aliens.
Naturally, such megawatt moral clarity is incomprehensible to the Left, and the lamestream media is already chock full of sob stories about the poor unauthorized foreign nationals who must face the consequences of their choices.
USA Today profiles a 59-year-old grandmother who has lived illegally in Florida for decades, and who must now choose between staying there and facing legal worries or leaving behind her home and U.S. citizen descendants. CBS introduces us to Aguilar, who “recently fell off a truck while on the job, and was bedridden with a back injury for two weeks.” Aguilar was afraid to seek medical attention for fear of being deported (which isn’t what happens when foreign nationals seek medical or law enforcement help) and vows to take her young son, a birthright citizen, with her if she leaves. Not to be outdone, NBC News tells us David Guerra “and his large family fled Florida in May[;] they left behind beds, mattresses, furniture and the construction tools they used to make a living. But it’s when he thinks of his children’s toys that his voice breaks.” There is no mention of why the family abandoned their possessions when they relocated to Maryland a full month before the new law took effect.
All of these stories are indeed horrible, and all were also foreseeable. These are the people who were lured here by corrupt Democrats and exploited for cheap labor by unscrupulous businesses. They have spent much of their lives here, and are devastated when America’s immigration laws are finally enforced. But with Joe Biden and Big Left now raking in utterly ludicrous numbers of unskilled, unvetted people, the system is buckling. Thus, some states are taking action to secure themselves, and who can blame them?
It’s worth noting that Florida’s new law does not focus on punishing illegal aliens but rather, those who profit off of them — a distinction that seems to be lost on both the unauthorized residents and the activist Left.
Big Media also feigns concern for Florida’s well-being. NBC estimates that just over a quarter — 26% — of the state’s workforce resides there illegally. “The Florida Policy Institute has stated the legislation could cost Florida’s economy $12.6 billion in one year. Six industries, including construction, agriculture and services, employ an estimated 391,000 undocumented workers, or about 10% of workers in those sectors,” the outlet says. And USA Today warns, “Critics worry it will lead to a labor shortage, potentially hobbling crop harvests, home construction and the tourism industry. Some business owners say they are already struggling to find workers.”
So, what will happen? It’s likely that there will be some labor shortages in the Sunshine State for a while. Some things will cost more. Perhaps a new resident worker permit will be created.
But eventually, Florida will adapt and adjust. There is no shortage of American immigrants to the state, and Florida workers will ultimately be better paid as the market catches up. There will likely be a decrease in gang activity, drugs, lawlessness, and perhaps even uninsured medical and property damage costs. Elections may also become more secure.
Related: DeSantis and Trump Both Vow to End Birthright Citizenship. Can They Do That?
And this is the real reason why the Left always fights tooth and nail to stop Republicans from enacting good policy. Because they know that, if left alone to take effect, such laws inevitably yield positive results. If that is permitted to happen, then voters might realize that the horrors they’d been led to expect by Democrats were lies. They might even start wondering what else the Left has lied to them about. This is an unacceptable threat to Democrat power, so watch for a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth as SB 1718 takes effect.
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