2023-09-06 21:31:10
Florida has the toughest law once morest undocumented immigrants in the United States. The dreaded SB 1718 went into effect on July 1 of this year and now it is known that there is already a detainee who is being accused of “trafficking in persons”, a felony typified in the new regulation. This is the story.
This is the Mexican Raquel López Aguilar, originally from Chiapas, who is detained following being accused of transporting undocumented migrants from Georgia to Florida in a vehicle. He was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers in Hernando County.
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Under the new Law SB 1718, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, it is considered a felony to cross the Florida state border carrying undocumented persons.
Section 10 of SB 1718 states: “Any person who knowingly and knowingly transports within this state an individual who the person knows, or reasonably should know, entered the United States in violation of the law and is not has been inspected by the Federal government since its illegal entry from another country, commits a felony of the third degree.”
The seriousness of the crime increases to the second degree if you transport more than 5 people or a minor, the law establishes.
In accordance with Univisionthe law adds human trafficking or smuggling to the list of “crimes” that can be considered “extortion activity”, which in Florida is considered a “first degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $10,000″.
Members of the immigrant community in South Florida demonstrate once morest Law SB 1718 that entered into force on July 1, 2023. (EFE/EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH).
Different versions of the same case
Both the Florida Highway Patrol and the Mexican consul have given different versions of the immigrant’s case.
The FHP assures that Raquel López Aguilar was transporting six people, including a minor. In addition, she maintains that when they detained him they verified that he had entered the United States illegally and that he had already been deported before.
Police also claimed that the passengers in the van were undocumented and that one of them was previously deported following committing a crime in Georgia.
For his part, the Mexican consul in Orlando, Juan Sabines Guerrero, said on Friday that Raquel López was arrested on August 21. The police officers stopped her to do a routine check, apparently because the windows of her truck were tinted and the windshield was smashed. He was driving on the I-75 highway, north of State Road 50. There they realized that the driver did not have legal status in the United States and that he was carrying other people who were in the same situation, the newspaper detailed. The nation.
Sabines explained that López is being held at the Hernando County Detention Center while investigations begin. He said he faces five smuggling charges, one for each person in the vehicle. He also announced that he already has legal advice.
In addition, Sabines stressed that López has the support of the Mexican Consulate in Orlando.
On the merits of the matter, Sabines assured that Raquel López Aguilar is innocent, since he has affirmed that he was not driving the vehicle.
“The curious thing is that he was not driving, so we will see what the prosecution will do to justify these charges that they want to impute to an innocent person who dedicates himself to work,” Sabines asserted according to WFLA.
The Consul of Mexico in Orlando, @Juansabinesgsends an important message to the community regarding the first victim of the law #SB1718, the Chiapas native of Copainala, Raquel; and reaffirms the unconditional support of the President’s government @lopezobrador_from @SRE_mx and the Consulate in… pic.twitter.com/5BPxrIpACM
— Consulate of Mexico in Orlando (@ConsulMexOrl) September 2, 2023
The only one they detained was Raquel, the consul said, “and the others were released because this is not an immigration case, it is a criminal case. Migration has nothing to do with it. Migration hasn’t even come.”
The consul reported that there is a $10,000 bond for Raquel López, money that she cannot pay for which she will remain in custody.
The next hearing will be on September 21, where the charges once morest López will be officially read.
“The state attorney will try to charge an innocent person once morest a law that is clearly illegal and authoritarian. We are sure that in less than a month Raquel will be released. In this way, we will defend each Mexican person who is a victim of this unconstitutional law,” insisted the consul.
On the other hand, the chain Telemundo reported that Raquel López Tierne has four charges for transporting undocumented persons, and that she faces possible deportation.
The aforementioned news chain also broadcast statements by Consul Sabines, who harshly criticized the Florida authorities. “I ask myself once more, was it not because I was brown? Because this law is obviously racist. I don’t know if the same thing happened to a Mexican immigrant or to an Argentine with blue eyes and blond hair, I highly doubt it,” he said.
One of the undocumented immigrants who was in the vehicle declared for Telemundo. “From my point of view, we were not doing anything wrong for them to arrest us and accuse us; more to the driver, because we came from work, ”he said.
Florida Governor and Republican 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks to voters and residents in border communities during a campaign event in Eagle Pass, Texas on June 26, 2023. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP)
/ SUZANNE CORDEIRO
Besides…
What SB 1718 Says
-Identification documents
Prohibits local governments from providing funds to issue community IDs to people who do not prove legal presence in the United States.
-Driver’s licenses
Voids driver’s licenses issued by another state without being required to show proof of legal presence in the United States (ie, driver’s licenses issued to individuals who are undocumented or unable to prove legal presence). It makes it a crime to drive in Florida with this type of license.
-Hospitals
Requires hospitals and emergency departments that receive Medicaid to ask their patients regarding their immigration status.
-Employment/E-Verify
Sanctions employers for not verifying the employment authorization of their workers. Criminalizes non-citizens (undocumented immigrants) who use false identification documents to obtain work. Requires all employers to verify employment authorizations for new hires and requires private employers that employ 25 or more people to use E-Verify and confirm employment authorization for new workers.
-About DACA and graduates as lawyers
As of November 1, 2028, DACA holders will be prevented from being admitted by the Florida Supreme Court to practice law in the state.
-Human smuggling
It is a felony to transport to the state of Florida a person whom you know or reasonably should know: (1) entered the United States illegally; and (2) has not been inspected by the federal government.
-DNA samples
Collect DNA samples from individuals, including minors, who have received an immigration detainer and are in the custody of state corrections authorities.
-Transportation of undocumented
Grants $12 million for the unauthorized alien transportation program.
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