CS/SB 1718 – Immigration

SOW3302 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND PROVISION

BY: JOLENE CARTWRIGHT, NICOLETTE FORKEL, PASHA NIROO, TRISTEN REILLY AND GISELLE
ZAMORANO
Table of Context

Introduction
Social Problem Legislation
to bill

Critique of policy Recommendations References

 Introduction to bill CS/1718 Immigration

 Prohibits counties and municipalities from providing

funds to issue identification documents to individuals
who cannot offer a lawful presence
 Specifies certain driver licenses and permits issued by
other states (exclusively to unauthorized immigrants) are
not valid in Florida
 Requires certain hospitals to collect patient immigration
status
 Mandated to enter an order and demand repayment of
economic development incentives if notified an employee
knowingly employed an unauthorized alien
 $12,000,000 for these purposes.
 Introduced March 3/14/23 Approved 5/10/2023
Social Problem

Florida has one of the nation's highest rates of

unauthorized immigrants.

Florida SB1718 affects an estimated

900K unauthorized immigrants.
NY
600K

IL
400K

CA
SB 1718 could cost the state $12.6B in the 1st year . 1.9M

TX
1.6M

Unauthorized immigrants paid an estimated $1.5B FL

in state taxes in 2021 900K

 Impact of SB 1718

Undocumented Workers
o Affected industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
o undocumented workers make up 47 percent of its labor force
Economy
o Estimates show that undocumented immigrants spend

7.3% of their income paying taxes, contributing close to $923 million to

state and local taxes in 2019 alone
Healthcare
o Undocumented immigrants are afraid to seek prenatal or emergency care
o Prenatal care and mammograms have decreased by 18%.
Education
o 40,000 Undocumented Higher Education Students studying STEM,

Science, Medicine
o Beginning on November 1, 2028, DACA holders barred from being

admitted by the Supreme Court of Florida to practice law in Florida


Legislation
Legislative summary:
CS/CS/SB 1718 — Immigration covers
over a dozen policy areas that target
Floridians without a documented
immigration status
Filed: 3/7/2023
 Anyone who smuggles/transports into the state an individual knowingly and willfully whom the
person knows or reasonably should know is an immigrant without a documented status commits a
third-degree felony.
 Penalties are enhanced for smuggling minors or groups of more than five people or for repeat
offenders.
 Human smuggling is added to crimes prosecutable under the Florida RICO Act.
 Law enforcement can share information with federal immigration agencies.
 The Florida Department of Law Enforcement can assist in enforcing federal immigration laws.
 Private employers with 25+ employees must use E-Verify for new hires.
 Penalties for employer noncompliance with E-Verify include fines and license suspension.
 Employers knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens face penalties, including license suspension.
 Using false identification for employment is a third-degree felony for unauthorized aliens.
 Counties or municipalities can only fund ID issuance for those with proof of lawful presence.
 Operating a vehicle with a license issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants is prohibited.
 Exemptions from obtaining a Florida driver's license don't apply to undocumented immigrants.
 The statute allowing admission to the Florida Bar for unauthorized immigrants is repealed.
 Those subject to immigration detainers must provide DNA samples upon booking.
 Hospitals accepting Medicaid must ask about patients' citizenship or lawful presence. However,
patients can decline to share whether they are immigrants or not.
 Hospitals must report quarterly on patients' immigration status and receive funding for an
Unauthorized Alien Transport Program.
 Legislation

Political background, including stakeholders

 SB 1718 began as a proposal from Gov. Ron DeSantis to help combat what he perceives as the Legislation Status
Federal government's reckless border & immigration policies. This legislation passed with the help of  Last Action: 5/11/2023
other advocacy groups and will enforce penalties for those employing illegal aliens, enhance penalties
for human smuggling and make it mandatory for employers with 25 or more employees to use the E-  By Fiscal Policy Committee,
Verify system. Rules Committee, &
 Florida, like many other states, has been pushing for stricter immigration laws because of concerns
Senator Ingoglia
about national security, economic impacts, and the belief that illegal immigration must be addressed.
This bill addresses several aspects of immigration and the state’s stance on immigration regulation
and enforcement during ongoing national debates on immigration.
 The bill has gained attention from various stakeholders due to its significant impact on immigration
policies within the state. It has been quite controversial since this bill could harm businesses
because undocumented workers make up 47 percent of its labor force. In addition, it can lead to
significant costs for taxpayers in fighting legal challenges, and targets undocumented immigrants.
 Critiques of
Policy
 What values are reflected in the policy? One could
argue that Justice is reflected because the overall aim
of the bill is to reduce the number of undocumented
people in the state of Florida.
 What are anticipated client outcomes/impacts on
client systems? How could this policy impact our
clients’ well-being? Clients can feel unsafe and
leave the state; they may also become unemployed. If
they get injured, they may not get the care they
need because of fear of going to the hospital.
 Does the policy incorporate & build on client
strengths? (individual & community
strengths) No, it does not; it makes them feel
unsafe.
 Were client systems involved in development, implementation, or
evaluation of the policy? Not at all, they were targeted and not
considered at all.

Critiques of
Policy Which professional values are impacted or influenced by the
policy? The worth of a person is impacted, it makes people feel
unsafe and less worthy based on legal status.

Are there potential professional ethical conflicts related to the policy,

client well-being, and our mandates as social workers? Absolutely,
our job is to protect the well-being of people and now there is a law that
is possibly harmful for those individuals.
Impact on Social
Work Practice

Micro Mezzo Macro

Fearful individuals,
families, businesses may
not ask for help or trust
social workers
Individuals become more
susceptible to
crime/blackmail/extortion/et
c.
May cause more emotional
issues
Social workers torn between
client well-being and the
avoiding jail-time/fines
Ostracized population Disproportionately harsh
with nowhere to go penalties
Fearful communities & $12 million of General
organizations that want to Revenue Fund diverted to
help but can't Unauthorized Alien
Transport Program
Divisive culture in our
country
Recommendations
Remember, the well-being of clients
is our top priority
Micro: Apply for residency, if possible
Have a good back up plan

Become informed about non-profit

organizations that can help
immigrants
Border Angels, The ACLU Immigrants'
Rights Project, etc.
Mezzo:

Lawsuit focused on Section 10

Lobby to lessen consequence
Macro: Lobby for passage of Senator
Padilla and co-sponsors 7 Years
Rule Bill
 ACLU Florida. (2023, July 17). Civil rights and legal advocates file lawsuit against Florida's anti-
immigrant law SB 1718.
https://www.aclufl.org/en/press-releases/civil-rights-and-legal-advocates-file-lawsuit-against-floridas-anti
-immigrant-law-sb

Bojorquez, M. 2024. CBNEWS Florida's Immigration Law Brings Significant Unintended

Consequences.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-immigration-law-significant-unintended-consequences/
References Immigration News. (2024, January 31). Get automatic green card: 7 years rule for USA immigrants | US
immigration new bill released - USCIS [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5t3ZrdovIg
Law SB 1718.
https://www.aclufl.org/en/press-releases/civil-rights-and-legal-advocates-file-lawsuit-against-floridas-anti
-immigrant-law-sb
Martinez, O., Wu, E., Sandfort, T., Dodge, B., Carballo-Dieguez, A., Pinto, R., Rhodes, S., Moya, E., &
Chavez-Baray, S. (2013). Evaluating the impact of immigration policies on health status among
undocumented immigrants: A systematic review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(3),
947–970.
Passel. J.S., 2023. Pew Research Center. What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/16/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-livi
ng-in-the-us/
Sarkissian, A., 2024. Politico. There was a lot of anxiety’: Florida’s immigration crackdown is causing
patients to skip care.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/14/florida-immigration-crackdown-healthcare-00141022