On May 10, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 1718 into law. To date, this legislation is among the most draconian anti-immigrant bills since Arizona’s SB 1070 in 2010. What is happening in Florida is not new relative to other efforts, but make no mistake: It is perhaps even more dangerous, considering that the man whose signature codified SB 1718 as law is also telegraphing his desire to vie for higher office.
A news release published to the governor’s official website dated May 10 frames the language and tonality that provides the animus for this effort. The statement itself introduces the signing of this act as a perceived necessity amid “Biden’s Border Crisis,” which DeSantis claims “has wreaked havoc across the United States and has put Americans in danger.” This rhetoric is clearly intended to resituate social phenomena into political posturing, in much the same way that DeSantis, among others, used state resources to bus migrants north, often through coercion.
SB 1718 continues the effort to relocate migrants to “sanctuary jurisdictions” with no effort to coordinate resources to meet people’s needs, which in turn replicates trauma many migrants have endured as they left their places of origin seeking relief. Additional features of this law include the compulsory use of E-Verify for employers, enhanced penalties for transporting migrants, a ban on local government and non-governmental organizations issuing identification documents, the invalidation of out-of-state drivers’ licenses issued to undocumented persons and the license suspension of any employer who hires undocumented workers. It would also require hospitals to collect and report health care costs for undocumented persons.
Perhaps most telling — besides the fearmongering and the explicit intrusion into people’s privacy — is not only the references to a “flood” of immigrants at the southern border but also the intentional use of the term “illegal alien.” This loaded term of course flies against journalistic convention, considering that the AP Stylebook no longer sanctions its use when describing an undocumented person. The use of the term is situated away from professional communication and is, in turn, more of a signifier for conservative political clout.
This level of political trolling and clout-chasing makes sense considering that DeSantis is attempting to position himself as a social conservative placeholder amid the chaos of the Faustian pact that social conservatives have with former President Donald Trump. According to a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, DeSantis still trails Trump by a wide margin. His continued exposure through his support of SB 1718 and an ongoing feud with the Disney Corporation is very calculated.
Performative racism is often the calling card of mediocre politicians. Unfortunately, many who are impacted most are also those most disempowered.
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Oscar Rosales grew up in the Yakima Valley and works and resides in Seattle.
Read more of the May 24-30, 2023 issue.