A new Florida law cracking down on undocumented immigrants, signed last month by far-right Gov. Ron DeSantis and set to take effect on July 1, has pushed thousands of workers to flee the state.
Now even some capitalists who otherwise support DeSantis and the state’s GOP-controlled House and Senate are beginning to speak out about how the law is likely to hurt their bottom lines.
The new law places harsh restrictions on undocumented immigrants. Among other things, it also requires the “repayment of certain economic development incentives” if the state, which plans to conduct random audits of businesses, “finds or is notified that an employer has knowingly employed” an undocumented immigrant without verifying their employment eligibility.
Meanwhile, in Florida, DeSantis’ xenophobic approach has sparked fears that “a labor shortage will leave crops unpicked, tourist hotels short of staff, and construction sites idle,” The Tallahassee Democrat noted.