Activists in Jupiter, Lake Worth Beach say Florida immigration law will hurt everyone

Protesters took to the streets in Jupiter and Lake Worth Beach this weekend to oppose new state legislation that targets undocumented immigrants, warning it will starve key industries of workers and further marginalize the many undocumented residents who call South Florida home

Several dozen immigrants and activists marched and waved signs in separate events in the two cities, the latest in a series of manifestations against the new law, Senate Bill 1718, which takes effect July 1.

The protesters warned that the legislation, which requires businesses to check job applicants’ legal status and makes it a crime to transport an undocumented immigrant into the state, will prompt many undocumented immigrants to leave and could discourage others from calling police during emergencies or seeking medical care.

“We’re very sad about what is happening right now, with people asking if they can even go to the doctor,” said Karymn Salcedo, who organized Sunday’s protest in Lake Worth Beach.

Protesters pointed out that the new law also requires hospitals to ask patients whether they are in the country legally.

Even though the law has not yet taken effect, some immigrants say it is already affecting their lives.

At Saturday’s protest in Jupiter, a 28-year-old Guatemalan woman named Madeline said she quit her restaurant job last month after learning Gov. Ron DeSantis had signed SB 1718 into law.

“I’m afraid they will grab me,“ Madeline, who asked that her last name not be disclosed, said in Spanish. “There are still so many things I want to do in this country.”

The Jupiter protest, which was attended by about 45 people, was organized by Loli Reyes of West Palm Beach. Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Reyes has been a U.S. citizen for years, but she organizes demonstrations such as Saturday's because she wants other immigrants to get the chance to provide for their families.

Reyes, who also organized a similar demonstration June 1 in West Palm Beach, said immigrants in the area live in a state of fear.

“I want to be the voice for those who can’t be here today,” she said.

In Lake Worth Beach, about 60 protesters marched from the city's Cultural Plaza to City Hall along Dixie Highway, where they waved signs and chanted as passing cars honked in support.

There, Catalino Ortega stood proudly holding the flag of El Salvador, the country he immigrated from more than 30 years ago. Ortega said he works in construction and, although he is applying for U.S. citizenship, he is worried the new law could affect his ability to work in the meantime.

“You’re always worried,” he said in Spanish. “We’re only here to work.”

But the law will not only affect undocumented immigrants, the protesters warned.

Jill Hanson, who has worked at Jupiter's El Sol community center for years, said at Saturday’s event in Jupiter that immigrants can be seen everywhere: workers at construction sites, restaurant cooks, managers of local businesses.

“Every pizza in Jupiter is made by an immigrant,” Hanson said.  “These are the people we need more of."

She says the bill DeSantis signed unfairly targets a crucial part of the community — and encourages others to do the same. “These laws give permission to hateful people to be more hateful,” Hanson said.

Joel Ramirez, who owns an interior design company, came to Saturday’s demonstration with a group of men who were wearing construction jackets that read "NO SB 1718" in the back.

He said many of the immigrants targeted by this law have been living in Florida for years. They work, they own businesses, they pay taxes and they have children attending local schools.

"It's not fair," said Ramirez. "Everyone should have the right to work."

Ramirez said DeSantis should pay more attention to what the immigrant community in his doing in the state. Immigrants aren't only doing hard labor farming or in construction sites, he said, they are also entrepreneurs, doctors, and politicians.

"We are not criminals," he said. "It's not true that the government is maintaining immigrants. We came here to work and we are helping to build this country.”

Some of his friends, he said, have been laid off since the laws were announced because companies are afraid of getting in trouble.

Since the bill was signed into law, protests have emerged across Florida, including the June 1 demonstration in downtown West Palm Beach, which drew hundreds of people.

But Roberto Monjaras, a community organizer, said at Sunday’s Lake Worth Beach event that marching and chanting was not enough. Addressing the crowd through a megaphone, he urged his fellow protesters to vote, and to teach their children to vote, too.

“As long as we don’t vote we’re not going to have representation,” he said in Spanish.

amarra@pbpost.com

vpalm@pbpost.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Immigrants, activists rally against SB 1718 in Jupiter and Lake Worth