Surviving in DeSantis’s Anti-Immigration Florida

Locked out of College, Health Care, and with Nowhere to Go

My name is Jesus Calderon and I am an undocumented immigrant from Honduras who currently calls Miami home. 

Coming to this country not only afforded me life-changing opportunities but it also saved my life. 

I arrived in the U.S. at the age of 16 with my two brothers, fleeing from extreme violence, poverty, and lack of possibilities in my home country. Thankfully, I received many opportunities here, not just learning another language but more importantly, the life-changing chance to safely attend and graduate high school. This led me and my brothers to become the first college graduates in our family. I obtained a bachelor’s degree at Florida International University. After graduating, I became more active in my local church, opened my own business, and always made time to support local organizations.

As an immigrant I had to work twice as hard as many of my classmates and co-workers. Nothing was gifted to me. I am extremely grateful for this country, but my gratitude cannot deny the fact that I face, lately, fear and uncertainty for what may happen next, especially under the current leadership here in Florida.

I am extremely grateful for this country, but my gratitude cannot deny the fact that I face fear and uncertainty for what may happen next.

We are currently a hostile state for undocumented immigrants and it is getting worse. Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a legislative proposal to take action against what he considers an increasing threat posed by illegal immigration. The proposed laws include: “increasing penalties for human smuggling, strengthening statutes for the detention of illegal aliens, requiring universal use of E-Verify, enhancing penalties for document falsification, and prohibiting the issuance by local governments of ID cards to people who are not lawfully in the country.”

I am not ignorant of the fact that our immigration system is broken. It seems neither political party knows how to bring a humanitarian and fair solution for immigrants. As a result, we have politicians like DeSantis trying to take drastic actions, opposing the federal government, and pushing personal political agendas. DeSantis’s proposal will further oppress and criminalize people in our community, a community which is already vulnerable as it is. It will harm people like me.

Florida has long been a home for immigrants. One in five residents in this state were born in another country and immigrants make up more than a quarter of Florida’s labor force.

Considering the extensive contributions we make, let’s take a moment to look at some of the things that Florida’s governor is trying to do to immigrants with this proposal. This proposed legislation would prohibit the issuing of official identification for individuals labeled as undocumented and invalidate any non-Florida driver’s licenses. Currently, there are nineteen states that provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, allowing them to drive legally and to purchase auto insurance. One of those states is New York, where I had the opportunity to receive my driver’s license back in 2020. Any out-of-state drivers’ licenses, like mine, would no longer be valid for undocumented immigrants. If I was stopped by a police officer, I would be cited for having an invalid license in Florida, under this new law. 

This proposal also includes penalties of up to 15 years in prison for individuals who transport undocumented immigrants. Driving or traveling with someone without official documentation (again, not an out-of-state driver’s license!) runs the risk of spending years in prison. All this for potentially helping a family member or friend get to school, to work, or to the supermarket. And this isn’t even the worst part of DeSantis’s legislation.

One of the most vile things about this proposal is that it requires hospitals to collect data on the immigration status of patients and the cost to provide care to undocumented immigrants. Data would be reported regularly to the governor’s office and state legislature. Many people already live in fear of authorities and of being deported. Many of us will never seek medical care for fear of deportation. This legislation only exacerbates this problem, creating more fear within a community that lives in uncertainty. This proposal has deadly consequences for immigrants in Florida.

In addition to these proposed policies, the governor is also aiming to get rid of House Bill (H.B.) 851, a law that allows certain undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients to have access to in-state tuition in colleges and universities. This is not the first time DeSantis has made clear that he does not want undocumented immigrants to access in-state-tuition. H.B. 851 gave me the opportunity to attend college and graduate. My educational journey wasn’t free and I could not receive federal loans. I paid for my education upfront through countless hours of underpaid hard work. Without a bachelor's degree, I wouldn't have had the courage to start my own business. This is only one of many stories on how H.B 851 has opened the door for dreamers like me. This bill strengthens our community.

Governor DeSantis does not care about creating long term solutions around immigration or addressing the issues actually affecting our state. Considering the fact that college graduates are 50% less likely to be unemployed, keeping our community healthy can improve educational attainment and learning. This will, in turn, affect employment and reduce violence and crime.  

If DeSantis truly cared for humanitarian values, he would offer a real solution to the immigration crisis. Instead, his proposal is outrageous. It is a cruel vision from someone who is a self-professed Christian with pro life and pro family values. His proposal will only push immigrants further into hiding and sub-par living conditions. 

Propina

With gratitude for the powerful words he shares with us, we want to wish Jesus a very happy birthday this week! Here’s a song he wanted to share with all of La Cuenta’s readers:

See you next week!