(NewsNation) — Several advocacy groups are suing the DeSantis administration over an anti-immigration law in Florida.
The suit filed Monday calls the new law “hopelessly vague and incoherent,” NewsNation affiliate “The Hill” reported.
Section 10 of Senate Bill 1718, which went into effect July 1, makes it a felony to transport immigrants into Florida who “entered the United States unlawfully and without inspection by the Federal Government.”
The Farmworker Association of Florida argue that it “sweeps in many immigrants with permission to live and work in the United States.” The law’s language doesn’t match with federal immigration statutes, which leads to confusion about who the bill considers “inspected” for immigration purposes, according to the plaintiffs.
“Criminalizing transportation without federal ‘inspection’ and subjecting individuals to vague definitions is both unconstitutional and unfair,” said Kate Melloy Goettel, legal director of litigation at the American Immigration Council (AIC), “The Hill” reported.
“This ill-advised legislation not only singles out immigrants and their families but also poses a threat to the social and economic well-being of Florida’s communities,” Melloy Goettel added.
The law also expands the use of E-Verify, a controversial internet-based system operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
It allows employers to verify employees’ immigration status, ban the use of certain out-of-state drivers’ licenses and requires hospitals to collect patient immigration status data.
