DeSantis’ anti-immigrant policies are inhumane and will hurt businesses in Florida | Opinion

Florida is experiencing a severe labor shortage, like the rest of the nation. One in four workers in our state is an immigrant, making up a crucial part of our labor force.

They are the backbone of our healthcare industry and kept our businesses running as essential workers during the pandemic.

Nearly 400,000 immigrants in our state are entrepreneurs with an annual business income of $8.1 billion. Immigrant-led households in Florida paid $23.2 billion in federal taxes and $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2018. As consumers, immigrants add $100 billion to Florida’s economy annually.

As workers, business owners, taxpayers and neighbors, immigrants make contributions that benefit everyone.

Yet, some politicians continue to whip up their base and raise funds by generating fear and hate toward immigrants, attacking immigrants through orders and legislation.

A recent executive order by Gov. DeSantis commands state agencies to stop issuing or renewing licenses for shelters (fully funded by the federal government) that temporarily house unaccompanied immigrant children while they are waiting to be placed with a relative or sponsor.

These children are vulnerable, as we know from our own experience, when we came to the U.S. as children.

I, Aida, came as part of Operation Pedro Pan.

Mike, arrived as a child in Mexico as undocumented before coming to the United States. Both of us fled communism and sought a better life. Like millions of immigrants, we have become major contributors to U.S. society. On behalf of the IMPAC FUND (Florida chapter of the American Business Immigration Coalition), we urge the governor to reverse this emergency order, which will lead to innocent children being harmed and left without appropriate care.

On the other hand, House Bill 1355 and Senate Bill 1808 take aim at state contracts with businesses that transport migrants of all ages into Florida. This legislation would further deny basic services to immigrant families.

It will also hit Florida’s top industries especially hard. Three years ago, the Florida Legislature enacted a ban on sanctuary cities, even though Florida has no sanctuary cities. That law was struck down as unconstitutional in federal court. Now the new proposed laws would create an enforcement nightmare and traumatize desperate immigrant families.

These anti-immigrant measures do not solve the immigration influx generated by the tragedy of families who are facing impossible crises in their countries. Only immigration reform and dealing effectively with the root causes of immigration will begin to solve these problems humanely and rationally.

In the meantime, the Biden administration has been enforcing security at the border at a greater rate than President Trump, e.g.: 60% of apprehensions led to a rapid expulsion or deportation; 21.7% led to a direct release, down from 56% direct releases into the country under Trump.

If some Floridians have little empathy for these defenseless children and desperate families, even though they themselves may have come here to find freedom and a better life, then at least they should consider the economic impact of these policies. As our state faces a severe labor shortage, making inflation and supply-chain issues worse, now is not the time to make it even harder for employers to find workers. Experts agree that anti-immigrant policies will continue to damage Florida’s top three industries — tourism, agriculture and hospitality — by scaring away essential workers and harming innocent children.

Immigrants have always made Florida stronger and better. There are bigger fish to fry during the last six weeks of the legislative session, instead of focusing on punishing children for the sake of politics.

Some of these political leaders may think they are scoring points with all the electorate by attacking immigrants. They may not realize that they are antagonizing many voters who see immigration as a positive force.

Ultimately, they will damage their political careers instead of just harming immigrants.

Aida Levitan is a board member of the IMPAC FUND and president of The Levitan Group. Miguel “Mike” B. Fernandez is the chairman of the IMPAC FUND and co-chair of the ABIC Board (Florida chapter of the American Business Immigration Coalition).