Protestors rally against Florida's new law that hurts migrants

Hundreds of migrants in the agricultural town of Homestead, Florida took to the streets in protest of a new law, SB-1718 that went into effect Saturday, July 1.

Local organizations report that the passage of the law has prompted many undocumented immigrants to flee the state, negatively impacting businesses that have historically relied on immigrant labor. Other migrants at the rally promised to fight back.

The controversial law imposes penalties on Florida businesses that choose not to use E-Verify, a federal database system, to check the legal status of their employees. It makes it a felony for anyone to "knowingly" transport an undocumented worker into the state.

Hospitals that accept Medicaid, the government health insurance, are now mandated to share financial data on the cost of treating undocumented patients. Also, out-of-state driver's licenses legally obtained by undocumented migrants will no longer be accepted in Florida.

（CGTN）