DESANTISLAND

Florida’s cruel immigration law resulting in real-life consequences for all of us | Opinion

Joel Tooley
Mon, September 18, 2023 

Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com


Without notice, three warning lights popped up on the dashboard of my almost 10-year-old vehicle. Given that my vehicle has reached about 150,000 miles, there are going to be a few issues that require more than a driveway mechanic.

I called the local Chevy service center to set up a diagnostic assessment. The receptionist told me, “Because of our worker shortage, the earliest I can get you on the schedule is in 50 days.”

A week earlier, I was in Orlando for meetings and needed to check into a hotel. I purposely waited for a late check-in; many times, the 3 p m check-in time includes a longer line of weary travelers with arms full of bags, with their luggage and cranky children dragged in tow. I could hear the well-trained desk clerk reciting to each guest, “Thank you so much for your patience. Because of our worker shortage, our housekeeping staff is working really hard to make sure each room is cleaned perfectly for you and each of our guests.”

The National Immigration Forum submitted an insightful analysis last year. Legal analyst Arturo Castellano writes, “The United States is facing an acute labor shortage. While the root cause of the problem is multifactorial, America’s lowest net international migration (NIM) levels in decades have accelerated the workforce deficit.”


The analysis cites various factors at play; what is not highlighted is the impact of harmful legislation implemented at statewide levels. As a Florida resident, there are times when I harbor the notion that there is an intentional contest between governors to demonstrate who can be the cruelest to immigrants and implode economic stability. If there is such a race, Florida’s governor is certainly in the lead.

Far-right politicians’ posturing is having a prolonged impact on real people in real places. It’s more than a delayed hotel check-in or needing to wait for more than a month to get into a mechanic. I recently attended a faith event for Evangelical pastors in Winter Garden where one pastor who leads a congregation made up primarily of agricultural workers in Polk County shared a significant concern: “Ninety percent of my congregation left the state of Florida before Governor DeSantis’ law (SB1718) went into effect on July 1.”

Another pastor from Tampa shared that several families in their Spanish-speaking congregation had also left Florida. The Evangelical pastors, Catholic leaders and other faith representatives to whom I’ve spoken on the Space Coast and Gulf Coast, and in Tallahassee and the Greater Orlando area all say the same thing.

I am worried, and I am not alone. Multiple news organizations are addressing this growing crisis. “Even a lot of Republican business owners are worried and complaining about this law because they view it as unnecessary and disruptive,” former Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo told NPR from the recent National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference in Miami.

Voters across Florida, accustomed to not giving much credence to immigration issues need to adjust their attention; what happens to our neighbor impacts all of us.

Joel Tooley is a pastor in Melbourne, Florida and the director of Mosaic Compassion, a non-profit that serves immigrant communities. He is also a consultant for the National Immigration Forum and the Evangelical Immigration Table.