FIGHTING EVIL

Florida Businesses Close as Protests Erupt Against Anti-Immigrant Law

The protest, deemed “A Day Without Immigrants,” comes one month before the harsh new legislation goes into effect.

Thousands of immigrants in Florida protested on Thursday against new anti-immigrant legislation passed in the state, forcing some businesses to close for the day as workers went on strike. The protest, called “A Day Without Immigrants” or “Un Día Sin Inmigrantes,” comes a month before Florida’s new legislation—which will require patients to provide proof of citizenship at hospitals, make it a felony to enter the state with an undocumented person, and make e-verify a requirement for most businesses—goes into effect. The legislation, passed at the behest of Gov. Ron DeSantis, also ends in-state tuition for the state’s DACA recipients and invalidates driver licenses issued to undocumented people from other states while they’re in Florida. Protesters took to the streets in all corners of the state, even areas that are typically deep-red politically, like in Jacksonville and Southwest Florida—where at least 30 businesses closed for Monday’s demonstration.