A federal judge temporarily suspended on Wednesday (22) the enforcement of a Florida law that makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants in the state.
The law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023, partially amends the human smuggling statute to make it a crime to transport individuals without legal status to Florida.
Distric Judge Roy Altman issued a temporary injunction against this provision, citing testimonies from individuals who are “now very afraid to travel in or out of Florida with their undocumented friends or family – for fear of being arrested or prosecuted or having their family members deported.”
Altman, who was appointed by former President Trump, blocked the law while a lawsuit filed by the Florida Farmworkers Association and several individuals claiming to be affected is pending in the courts.
The 2023 Florida immigration law also restricts access to identification cards and requires more businesses to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines if employees can legally work in the U.S.
However, the action reviewed by Altman only challenged the provision related to the transport of immigrants.
Republican politicians are taking increasingly strong positions against the rise in illegal crossings of people at the border observed under President Biden’s administration, a Democrat, as the November elections approach.
There has been a record of 2.4 million immigrant detentions in the fiscal year 2023, and this mark may be surpassed during the fiscal year 24, although monthly numbers have decreased, according to the latest figures from the Department of Homeland Security.
Source: Fox News