By Dara Kam
“Migrant workers and advocates have filed a federal lawsuit challenging part of a new Florida law that makes it a felony to transport into the state people who enter the country illegally, arguing the law is vague and will lead to ‘unlawful arrest, prosecution and harassment.’
The law, championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is among a series of measures adopted by state Republican leaders in recent years targeting immigrants entering the country from Mexico.
The measure passed during this spring’s legislative session included changes to a human-smuggling law to make it a felony to transport into the state an individual “whom the person knows, or reasonably should know” has entered the country illegally.
The law imposes penalties on people who transport an immigrant who ‘entered the United States in violation of law and has not been inspected by the federal government since his or her unlawful entry.’ People can be charged with a second-degree felony for each violation of the law.
But the lawsuit filed Monday in Miami argued that what is known as ‘Section 10’ of the law does not include a definition of ‘inspected’ and thus is ‘hopelessly vague and incoherent.’
[…] Plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Monday are represented by lawyers from several immigration- and civil-rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and the American Immigration Council.”