Human Rights Groups Protest Bill Passed In Florida House To Restrict Illegal Immigrants

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Members of the human rights group Dream Defenders staged a sit-in inside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office Wednesday to protest the Tuesday's passage of a sweeping immigrant reform bill by the Florida House.

Senate Bill 1718 prohibits cities and counties in Florida from giving funds to organizations that provide identification documents to anyone who enters the country illegally.

The new law also prohibits businesses from accepting identification from unauthorized immigrants, including driver's licenses or permits issued by other states.

Employers who hire an unauthorized immigrant without verifying the immigrant's eligibility to legally work in Florida would be required to pay back any economic development incentives it has received from the state.

Additionally, the law requires certain hospitals to collect information on a patient's immigration status upon admission.

The bill's sponsor is Rep. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, whose 21-year-old son was killed in a car crash in 2007. The driver who caused the crash was an undocumented immigrant who had been deported twice.

“There is not an ounce of malice in my heart. I just want it to stop. It has to stop,” said Michael. “It’s insane if we’re waiting for D.C. to do something when we have the opportunity to do this ourselves."

The House voted 83-36 to pass the bill. The Senate passed it on April 28 with a 27-10 vote.

The sit-in, which began at 2 p.m. Wednesday, included dozens of protesters who stationed themselves in front of the reception desk to DeSantis' office. At first, the protesters sat. Later on, they stood, at times locking arms and blocking the doors leading into the governor's office.

DeSantis is currently on a trade and cultural mission in Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom.

The Dream Defenders are demanding that he come home to face his constituents.

"Gov. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers have chosen to attack many of Florida's most vulnerable and historically marginalized communities with policies that attack who they are, who they love and how and what they learn,” said Dwight Bullard Sr., political adviser at Florida Rising, who joined the protest.

“By virtue of being born, we are entitled to a real dignified democracy that gives us a say on our blocks, in our cities, in our schools, and the places we work,” said Nailah Summers-Polite, co-director of Dream Defenders and one of the speakers and occupiers on Wednesday.

“He stokes division to try and make white people afraid, and I'm here to say that we will not be divided or tricked because we know that we are stronger when we stand together," said Julia Daniel, assistant director of Showing Up for Racial Justice, who also joined the sit-in.

Akin Olla, spokesman for Dream Defenders, said the organization has attorneys on stand-by in case any of them are arrested. Olla said their goal is to get a meeting with the governor and he said they don't plan to leave until that happens.

The Dream Defenders was founded in April 2012 after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford.

"This is extremely important given that this is almost exactly 10 years since the Dream Defenders occupied the state house for a month demanding change after Trayvon Martin was murdered," Olla said.