Florida ranks third among all states in the number of unauthorized immigrants, representing about 3.8 percent of the population and 5.8 percent of the overall labor force in 2009. And while their impact on the workforce, government services, the health care industry, crime and the tax base is often debated, but impossible to calculate with any precision, state lawmakers are now considering measures to reduce those numbers.
A report, In Plain Sight – A guide to Florida’s immigration debate, released on Wednesday by the Collins Center for Public Policy, an independent nonpartisan think tank, offers a careful analysis of immigration in Florida.
Currently, a half-dozen bills have been filed and state lawmakers have been holding hearings on immigration reform in preparation for the annual spring session, beginning March 8.  The report points out that the get-tough immigration policies hope to persuade the public that meaningful policies can be enacted without violating the civil rights of U.S. citizens, provoking consumer boycotts or profiling legal immigrants whose labor is critical to the state’s agriculture and tourism industries.
Gov. Rick Scott, who is in favor of toughening Florida immigration policies, has stated that, “Just like I get asked for my ID if I ever get a traffic ticket, they should be asked if they’re legal or not. We have to make sure there is no racial profiling. It’s got to be fair. We have to know who’s in our state, especially people doing something wrong.”
Despite the many backers of tougher immigration laws, powerful business and political forces that include the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, Hispanic voters, law enforcement associations, and tourism and agricultural interests are openly questioning the wisdom of adopting measures that target immigrants, the report notes.
According to the executive director of Florida Immigrant Coalition, “Many Latino leaders see this as a slap in the face to their communities that work, spend money, and create jobs in the state.”
Although there is little agreement on the size of the fiscal impact of illegal immigrants on Florida, the report describes Florida’s immigration history, examines the legal questions raised by state intervention, tracks the proposed legislation in Florida, and offers insights and opinions from scholars, think tanks and advocacy groups on the impact of immigration – legal and illegal – on the state.
