TAMPA, Florida: Orlando-based Democratic lawmakers will advocate for the “Welcoming Florida Act” on Wednesday.
State Senator Victor Torres has presented a bill (SB 1598) that would repeal some of the severe immigration rules that were implemented during the previous parliamentary session.
The measure would do away with clauses pertaining to patient status information gathered by hospitals and the need for an employer to fire an employee upon discovering they lack legal status in the state.
Additionally, it would shield citizens from the unlawful application of immigration law.
The founder of Libertad, Club Hispano Republicano of Pasco County, Julia Aguayo De Hassler, claims that these proposals do not contribute to the state’s immigration laws being strengthened.
The folks who have been here for years and the thousands of people this government has allowed to enter without doing the necessary background checks should be distinguished from one another, she stated.
Proponents of this idea argue that it would challenge current legislation that criminalizes those who transport those who are in the country illegally and that it would be a positive step for the immigrant population.
Immigration lawyer Danielle Hernandez stated, “It seems to clear up some misconceptions and probably some things that would have been challenged.”
The Florida legislature has a supermajority of republicans, so the bill may have an uphill struggle, but there are other suggested immigration bills.
Additionally, Senate Bill 1036 would subject immigrants who were previously deported and subsequently apprehended for reentering the country illegally to more severe criminal penalties.
Senate Bill 598 calls for the federal government to “fix the legal immigration system” and bolster border security in the interim.
