MIAMI, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida and other pro-immigrant groups filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday to challenge Senate Bill 4C, a law that makes it a crime for people to enter the state illegally.
According to a release, ACLU of Florida, ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, and Americans for Immigrant Justice filed the lawsuit in the District Court for the Southern District of Florida on behalf of the Farmworker Association of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and individual plaintiffs — including longtime Florida residents who have pending federal immigration applications and with U.S. citizen family members who rely on their care.
“Florida’s SB 4C is not just unconstitutional — it’s cruel and dangerous,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “This law strips power from the federal government and hands it to state officers with no immigration training or authority, threatening to tear families apart and detain people who have every legal right to be here. Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and due process — not politically motivated attacks.”
Back in February, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 4C, which would authorize state and local law enforcement to imprison people “who knowingly enter or attempt to enter this state after entering the United States by eluding or avoiding examination or inspection by immigration officer.”
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Local Immigration Attorney Belkis Plata told News4JAX that not only does that specific job belong to the federal government, but she also said she knows that Florida is in the national spotlight and people are looking to the state when it comes to their actions on immigration.
“We need to protect our citizens and protect them from crimes and criminals, sure. There’s plenty of ways to do that, but we’re going to be losing some incredible people who have been giving so much to this community because of actions by our city council,” Plata said.
Click here to read the full complaint
On Wednesday, Mayor Donna Deegan announced that she will not sign the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Act, which was passed by the city council last week.
While the mayor will not sign the bill, the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Act will still take effect next Tuesday.
