BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida's new immigration law won't take effect until July 1, 2023, but a group in Bradenton said they're already feeling its impact.
Florida lawmakers in favor of Senate Bill 1718 said it "targets the dangerous effects of illegal immigration," but critics said it will have adverse effects on the entire state and urge lawmakers to reconsider it.
"I know people that have personally left the state," Pastor Jose Cadena of Centro Vida Nueva in Bradenton said.
A group marched from the DeSoto Mall to the downtown courthouse. It's been several protests held across the state in protest of the law.
A formerly undocumented immigrant himself, Cadena workers he knows are leaving professions in construction and hospitality. He said other industries including agriculture will see fewer workers because of the new law.
"These are people that have come not to take anyone's job. These are people that have come to do the jobs that others would very likely not do," Cadena said.
The law requires businesses with more than 25 staffers to use the federal E-Verify system, which determines if employees can legally work in the U.S.
"You can't build a strong economy based on illegality," Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously said.
Hospitals that accept Medicaid must also include a citizenship question on their intake forms. Critics said it may dissuade undocumented immigrants from seeking medical care.
The law also makes it a felony to transport undocumented immigrants into Florida which could impact mixed-status married couples or farm workers who travel together. The new law also invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented people.
The Florida Policy Institute estimates the state's most labor-intensive industries could lose 10 percent of their workforce, costing the state $12.6 billion dollars in one year, according to CBS News.
Cadena said he worries about families leaving and being affected by the law. He said he and others across the country plan to protest once again in Tallahassee the day before the law takes effect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.