Resources on Florida Anti-immigrant Bills

This page includes resources related to recently passed Florida legislation targeting immigrants, as well as advocacy events that occurred in conjunction with the 2023 AILA Annual Conference.

AILA Together. Changing the Future.

In response to the extreme, discriminatory agenda being pursued by the Florida Governor and Legislature, including recently passed anti-immigrant legislation, the Florida AILA Action Coalition organized a slate of advocacy and community support activities during our 2023 Annual Conference.

Belonging in Florida: Communities in Action Session

Presented by:

• Tessa Petit, Executive Director, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Inc.
• Samuel Vilchez, Florida State Director, American Business Immigration Coalition
• Debbie Deland, President, Fl NOW, President Greater Orlando NOW
• Corey Shearer, Outreach Specialist for Engage Florida and SE Regional Director for the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida
• Marleine Bastien, Executive Director, Family Action Network Movement

Content of Florida Anti-immigrant Bills

For information on the content of recent anti-immigrant legislation in Florida, see these resources from AILA:

• Audio Recording of Briefing on FL 264 and FL 1718
  This event was organized by the AILA Florida Chapters.
  
  
  
  

  Can't see the audio player? Download the Audio File (M4A)

• Summary of Major Provisions of FL 264
  This law imposes significant nationality-based restrictions on ownership of property by individuals from “foreign countries of concern.”
• Summary of Major Provisions of FL 1718
  This law restricts the ability of undocumented individuals to live and work in Florida.

Facts About Immigrants in Florida

New research conducted on the most in-demand occupations, framed in the context of DACA recipients and undocumented workers across the state (shared with the Presidents’ Alliance, Dream.US, the ACLU of FL, and others). Findings included:

• In healthcare, registered nurses saw the largest number of online job postings in 2022, with immigrants making up 29% of its workforce in Florida.
• Postings for elementary school and middle school teachers more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. At least one in seven K-12 teachers and teaching assistants were immigrants in the state.
• Demand for social workers and mental health counselors climbed substantially during this period, with immigrants making up at least one in six workers in these professions in Florida.
• Over 40,000 undocumented immigrants made up 3.1% of all students in Florida’s colleges and universities, including 8,000 DACA-eligible individuals who represented 0.6% of the state’s college students.

For more information, check out the American Immigration Council’s Map the Impact: Immigrants in Florida.

Contact Your Elected Officials

U.S. constituents can make a political impact by contacting their elected officials to share their concerns, recommendations, and demands. You can find contact information for your elected officials in the AILA Advocacy Action Center. Simply click on More at the top of the dark blue window and select My Officials.

Media Coverage

• American Immigration Council’s Immigration Impact: State Legislatures in Florida and Texas Propose and Enact Harmful Immigration Bills
• NPR: Why Florida's new immigration law is troubling businesses and workers alike
• Mother Jones All Floridians Should Be Worried About DeSantis’ New Anti-Immigration Law
• Slate (Op-Ed) Ron DeSantis’ New Target: 8-Year-Old Kids of Asian Descent

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 23051601.