LAKE WORTH, FLA. —Tallahassee still talks a lot about immigration. The new bill about immigration could have a huge effect on refugees and the people who help them.
The focus of Senate Bill 1718 is on people who are in Florida illegally. Migration Policy Institute says that almost 800,000 people who are in the country illegally call Florida home.
But the Guatemalan-Maya Center told CBS12 News that this is just a way to scare people. The Assistant Executive Director of the Guatemalan-Maya Center, Marina Blanco, said, “Our biggest worry is that it will make people who don’t have papers afraid to look for and get help.”
The non-profit group in Lake Worth helps refugees by giving them access to things like Medicaid, food stamps, and money for rent.
But the bill could change how they do things.
“Things like this not only make it hard for us to do our jobs, but they also hurt the community’s trust,” Blanco said.
The bill would make it illegal for counties or cities to give money to give ID cards to people who don’t have proof of “lawful presence.”
Senator Blaise Ingoglia said Thursday on the Senate floor, “We’re talking about people who are here illegally, who haven’t been inspected, who haven’t gone through any of the channels, and who aren’t waiting for immigration hearings.”
It would also force every hospital that takes Medicaid to show if a patient lives in the United States.
The bill says it won’t change how patients are cared for or give that information to immigration officials.
Sen. Ingoglia said, “We think the current language and laws are very clear, and the purpose of the bill is to make sure we don’t arrest anyone who is in the country legally.”
Mariana said that the governor of Florida should think about how immigrants help the state’s income.
Blanco said, “You shouldn’t mess with the people to further your own political goals.” “These are people, these are your neighbors, and these are the people who work for you. This is your neighborhood. You should keep them safe.”
The bill is still on the Senate floor, waiting for a vote before it goes to the House.
