Florida's new migrant transportation law is facing a legal challenge from a group of activist groups for being "vague" on "all manner of immigrants" and potentially in violation of federal immigration statutes, The Hill reported.
The law went into effect July 1 and a lawsuit is challenging Section 10 of it, which makes it a felony to transport a foreigner who "entered the United States in violation of law and has not been inspected by the Federal government since his or her unlawful entry from another country."
The lawsuit argues "inspected" by the U.S. government is "hopelessly vague" because of the Biden administration's permitting of illegals in the U.S. and "Floridians and travelers into Florida have no way to know which people fall within its terms."
"Criminalizing transportation without federal 'inspection' and subjecting individuals to vague definitions is both unconstitutional and unfair," American Immigration Council (AIC)'s Kate Melloy Goettel told The Hill.
"This ill-advised legislation not only singles out immigrants and their families but also poses a threat to the social and economic well-being of Florida's communities."
Goettel's AIC filed the lawsuit along with leftist immigration advocacy groups the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, and Americans for Immigrant Justice on behalf of the Farmworker Association of Florida and nine anonymous plaintiffs potentially subject to criminal charges under the law, according to the report.
"Each year, to maximize the seasons that they work, they usually spend about six months of the year working in Florida and six months of the year working out of state," the lawsuit reads. "They travel together across states. This year, however, they did not leave Florida to work out-of-state because they were frightened that if they left Florida, they would not be able to return, due to Section 10."
Farmworker Association of Florida's Nezahualcoyotl Xiuhtecutli spoke out for his group being a party to the lawsuit, which names Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), prosecutor Nicholas Cox, and the 20 Florida state attorneys.
"Not only is this law detrimental to our members' abilities to put food on their own tables, it is detrimental to our members' ability to put food on everyone's tables," he told The Hill.