>> THE STATES REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED THE BILL IN MAY, JUST WEEKS BEFORE HE ANNOUNCED HIS RUN FOR PRESIDENT. THE LAW BANS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM ISSUING I.D. CARDS TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T PROVE CITIZENSHIP. IT REQUIRES HOSPITALS THAT EXCEPT MEDICAID FUNDS TO ASK ABOUT A PATIENCE CITIZENSHIP STATUS. IT ALSO INCREASES PENALTIES FOR PEOPLE WHO HIRE OR TRANSPORT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. IT EXPANDS THE USE OF OUR FEDERAL DAVID A AND EMPLOYEES CAN USED TO CHECK WORKERS IMMIGRATION STATUS. >> FLORIDA'S STRICT NEW IMMIGRATION LAW, COURTESY OF RON DESANTIS JUST MIGHT BACKFIRE, DRIVING AWAY THE VERY PEOPLE THAT THE STATE RELIES UPON FOR ITS AGRICULTURAL BACKBONE. THE LAW REPORTS THAT JUST DAYS INTO EFFECT, AGRICULTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING A LABOR SHORTAGE. THE LAW COULD ALSO POSE A THREAT TO FLORIDA'S OTHER MAIN INDUSTRY, TOURISM. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE SAID THAT SOME DRIVERS LICENSES ISSUED BY OTHER STATES WILL NO LONGER BE RECOGNIZED AS VALID. RELEASING A LIST OF FOUR NEW ENGLAND STATES WHICH ISSUE SOME LICENSES THAT DON'T MEET THE NEW LAWS CRITERIA. HOW LONG THE LAW REMAINS IN EFFECT IS -- AS THEY FIGHT IT IN COURT. AS THE SUMMER SEASON WEARS ON THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF THE LAW MIGHT TAKE HOLD SOONER THAN LATER. FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND ESKAMANI IS A DEMOCRAT SERVING THE PEOPLE OF ORLANDO. SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE FLORIDA HOUSE IN 2018 AFTER SHE FLIPPED A FORMERLY REPUBLICAN DISTRICT. SHE HERSELF IS A DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS, AND JOINS US NOW. REPRESENTATIVE, IS ALWAYS SO GOOD TO SEE. YOU REPRESENT A DISTRICT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, INCLUDING PARTS OF ORLANDO, AND ITS SUBURBS. TELL US HOW YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE REACTING TO THIS NEW LAW, AND HOW IT IS IMPACTING THEM DIRECTLY. >> FIRST OF, ALL THANKS FOR HAVING ME. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE. MY CONSTITUENTS ARE INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED BY THIS. NOT ONLY DO WE JUST HAVE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT EMBRACES ARE IMMIGRANTS NEIGHBORS, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR INTRODUCTION, WE ARE SEEING RAMIFICATIONS IN MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES, FROM AGRICULTURE, TOURISM, TO CONSTRUCTION, WE ARE FACING A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT WE NEED LABOR. WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF DIVERSE PEOPLE TO HELP TO LIFT UP OUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE STRONG WORKFORCES TO SUSTAIN OUR GROWTH. THIS POLICY IS PUSHING OUT SO MANY HARDWORKING FLORIDIANS, AND OF COURSE UNDER GOVERNOR DESANTIS, WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS BEING PROPOSED OR EVEN SOLVED, ANY OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE WITH IMMIGRATION. IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING, AND THE ECONOMIC EFFECT IS BEING FELT ALREADY. >> A LOT OF THIS IS BEING FRAMED AS GOVERNOR DESANTIS DOING THINGS, GETTING THINGS DONE. YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT HIS STATE LEGISLATURE. WHAT SORT OF JUSTIFICATIONS AND EXCUSES HAVE YOU'VE BEEN HEARING FROM YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES IN TALLAHASSEE WHO ARE DRIVING THESE HARD RIGHT TURNS RIGHT ALONGSIDE RON DESANTIS? >> AS MOST FOLKS ASSUME, THERE IS NO BACKBONE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA RIGHT NOW, DESPITE HAVING FARMERS IN LEGISLATURE WHO NOW ADMIT THAT THIS POLICY WAS 100% POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. THE GOP GOT RIGHT ALIGNED TO SUPPORT DESANTIS, PUSHING FOR THESE EXTREME POLICIES THAT ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE EVERY DAY AMERICAN, LET ALONE THE AVERAGE FLORIDIAN, AND AGAIN I THINK WE CAN ALL SHARE A COMMONALITY THAT WE WANT TO SEE SOLUTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO IMMIGRATION. THIS IS NOT IT. >> THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'S NOTORIOUSLY CONSERVATIVE EDITORIAL BOARD ACTUALLY WENT SO FAR AS TO SAY THIS IMMIGRATION BILL IS A, QUOTE, MISFIRE. WRITING THAT THE WALL WILL, QUOTE, DENSE THE STATES ECONOMIC EXPANSION, WHICH HAS PRODUCED A JOBS AND TAX REVENUE BOOM. IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR DESANTIS TO PUNISH HIS OWN STATE, EVEN AS HE VOWS TO CLEAN UP THE MESS IN WASHINGTON. REPRESENTATIVE, DESANTIS HAS MADE CLEAR THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE AMERICA FLORIDA. IT JUST CAME OUT RIGHT NOW THAT FLORIDA IS NOW AMERICAS INFLATION HOT SPOT, WITH MIAMI, FORT LAUDERDALE, AND WEST PALM BEACH HAVING THE HIGHEST INFLATION RATE OF METRO AREAS WITH MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF MILLION RESIDENTS, WITH A 9% INFLATION RATE FOR THE 12 MONTHS THAT ENDED IN APRIL. THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 4%. IF YOU'RE AN AMERICAN NOT LIVING IN FLORIDA, THIS DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR YOU IF DESANTIS IS COURTING YOU FOR HIS VOTE, RIGHT? >> OF COURSE NOT. FLORIDIANS CAN'T AFFORD FLORIDA RIGHT NOW. WHILE DESANTIS PURSUES HIS CULTURE WARS AND ATTACKS IMMIGRANTS, WE CAN'T AFFORD OUR RENT. INSURANCE IS OUT OF CONTROL, WE SEE INCREASES IN OUR FOOD PANTRIES AND DEMAND FOR FOOD PANTRIES AT A NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL. THINGS ARE REALLY BAD HERE IN OUR STATE AND OF COURSE, DESANTIS IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN BECAUSE HE IS TOO BUSY TRYING TO CURRY FAVOR WITH IOWA CAUCUS VOTERS, WHILE HE CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE REAL CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. >> REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE I HAVE TO LET YOU GO, THIS NEWS HAS TESTED CAME IN. WORKERS AT SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION SITES IN SOUTH FLORIDA, SAYING THAT A QUARTER TO HALF OF THEIR TEAMS ARE GONE. DESANTIS IS DESTROYING AGRICULTURE AND DESTRUCTION INDUSTRIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BUT FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS ARE FACING GROWING INSURANCE RATES, INSURANCE BILLS. THEY CAN'T EVEN GET INSURANCE TO ENSURE THEIR HOMES, AND FLORIDIANS ARE FACING EXISTENTIAL THREATS BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE. ARE THESE ISSUES JUST TOO WOKE FROM RHONDA SCIENTISTS? >> THAT IS THE SAD PART OF IT. WE'VE SEEN GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND OTHER REPUBLICANS JUST CONTINUING TO DISTRACT AND DEFLECT THEIR CULTURE WARS. I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO BE MUTUAL PROBLEM SOLVERS, AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS, WHETHER IT'S CLIMATE CRISIS COST OF LIVING, OR REAL SOLUTIONS TO IMMIGRATION. THIS IS A TIME FOR DEMOCRATS TO LEAD.
