Photo: Giorgio Viera / EFE
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced Wednesday in a statement that the Governor of Florida has released the list of driver’s licenses that will not be accepted in the state and that it is available online on the site of this state agency, which is in charge of “strictly enforcing” the SB 1718 law in what is refers to the non-recognition of the driver’s licenses issued in other states to which undocumented immigrants.
The executive director of FLHSMV, Dave Kerner, pointed this out in the statement where it was reported that the list of types of out-of-state driver’s licenses that are no longer valid in Florida under SB 1718, in force since last July 1.
“Someone who is in our country illegally and has violated our laws should not possess a government-issued ID that allows them to access state-funded services and other privileges granted to legal residents,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the statement.
SB 1718 prohibits the issuance of a driver’s license to anyone who does not provide proof of legal presence in the US and specifies that out-of-state driver’s licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens are not valid in Florida.
According to the list published on the website of the state agency, The licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont will no longer be valid.
According to Kerner, SB 1718 supports two of the main goals of the agency he heads: “Improve national security and prevent criminal activity.”
“Florida will not provide incentives to undocumented immigrants, while reminding criminal cartels and those planning to cross our national border illegally that Florida should not be their destination of choice,” Kerner added.
Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gary Howze II noted that by enforcing the driver’s license provision the state ensures that “the people we meet are who they say they are and that they are welcome to enjoy everything what the state has to offer.
The statement warns that the list of licenses that are not valid in Florida is subject to change through periodic updates, due to revised driver’s license issuance requirements in other states.
SB 1718 is seen as one of the toughest in the US on irregular immigration and was promoted by DeSantis, who is running in the Republican Party primaries to be the candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
DeSantis has made the fight against irregular immigration the workhorse of his electoral campaign.
The law, which has already been the subject of a lawsuit by civil organizations, criminalizes the transport of people to Florida who may have entered the country without authorization to do so.
Keep reading:
– Ron DeSantis’ SB 1718 law criminalizes immigrants in Florida, warns ACLU
– Why driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants will no longer be accepted in Florida
– Why SB 1718 affects not only immigrants, but anyone in Florida