A federal judge temporarily blocked a Florida law that penalizes anyone who knowingly transports an illegal immigrant into the state, the Daily Caller reported.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday, according to court filings obtained by the Dally Caller. Altman was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump.
As part of a lawsuit against the law, people testified they were too afraid to travel in and out of Florida with their undocumented friends or family members for fear of being arrested, the Daily Caller reported.
The Farmworkers Association of Florida was a plaintiff in the case and said it would suffer "irreparable harm."
The bill, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, includes $12 million to relocate illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities, requires employees to use E-verify, and suspends the licenses of employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, according to the Daily Caller.
DeSantis said the bill was the strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country.
In March, DeSantis signed into a law a bill that increases the prison and jail sentences for immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally if they are convicted of driving without a license or committing felonies.
Another bill increases the maximum prison sentences for immigrants who are convicted of felonies after having been previously deported from the country for illegal entry.
"We do not tolerate illegal immigration, let alone lawlessness committed by illegal aliens who shouldn't be here in the first place," DeSantis said.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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