Florida Republican Seen Begging Latinos Not To Leave as Immigrants Continue Exodus Due To Ron DeSantis Law

Florida may be facing a massive labor shortage as a controversial new immigration bill pushed by Ron DeSantis has caused migrant workers to leave the state. Most affected are small businesses, farms, and construction sites that usually hire undocumented immigrants for cheap labor.

The bill easily passed the Republican-controlled state House and state Senate, gaining overwhelming popularity with most Republican lawmakers. However, with labor shortages now looming, one Florida Republican lawmaker was seen begging Latinos not to leave the state.

State Rep. Rick Roth, a Republican, admitted that "This bill is 100% supposed to scare you." He then told the Latinos through a Spanish translator that he is a farmer and admitted that "farmers are mad as hell" right now because they are losing employees, according to MSNBC.

The Republican then stated that Florida's migrant workers are now moving to other states like Georgia because of the new law, which would require businesses to check if their workers have papers and hospitals to ask for citizenship when treating a patient.

A video showed Roth begging the crowd to "talk to all your people" and convince them that the bill will be explained to them, essentially asking Latinos not to leave Florida.

After this, Roth then said he admires both Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump, who are currently at each other's throats as the 2024 Republican primaries draw closer. "We had the best president in my life - in the last 30 years - and I'm still supporting Donald Trump. I love my governor. He's the greatest governor in," he was heard saying.

Florida Republican Lawmakers Continue Downplaying Ron DeSantis's Immigration Law

Despite migrant workers exiting Florida for fear of the new law, Republicans continued to downplay its effects. Roth, along with other Republican state Representatives Alina Garcia and Juan Fernandez-Barquin spoke at an event organized by the Hispanic Ministers Association of South Florida.

The event was attended by around 160 people, mostly Latino ministers, pastors, and community organizations that were looking for answers regarding DeSantis' new law.

Rep. Garcia told NBC News, "It is unfortunate that opponents of the bill are disingenuously misleading people to believe things about this bill that simply are untrue. While Florida values the immigrant community, we had to take action to counteract the failures of the federal government."

Meanwhile, Rep. Fernandez-Barquin said the new law, which takes effect in July, "is centered on law and order and ensuring that our state fills the void the federal government has neglected to act upon."

The Ron DeSantis Immigration Bill: What Could It Mean for Florida

With the exodus of foreign workers, the US Chamber of Commerce revealed that Florida now only has 53 available workers for every 100 open jobs. This means that the state is now in the "more severe" category of labor shortage.

One migrant laborer, Pedro Marcos, spoke with CBS News, saying that while he is sticking it out in Florida, he knows two former co-workers who left after Ron DeSantis signed Florida's so-called "toughest in the nation" immigration law.

However, Marcos, a Guatemalan construction worker in Miami, stated that the law has scared employers from hiring him.

When the law finally takes effect on July 1, Florida could lose 10 percent of its workforce in its most labor-intensive industries. This could cost the state $12.6 billion in one year and would theoretically make the state economy suffer, according to Dr. Franciso Larios, a professor of economics at Miami Dade College.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Florida's new immigration law could cause labor shortage - CBS News