TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new immigration legislation into law Wednesday that could affect employment and health care for those without proper documentation.

It comes a day before the expiration of Title 42, the federal government’s pandemic-era border policy.

Title 42 was a policy enacted by the Trump administration which allowed the U.S. to quickly expel migrants at the southern border. It expires Thursday evening.

Supporters of Senate Bill 1718, which goes into effect July 1, say it will help the border crisis.

The law makes it a felony to transport someone you know, or reasonably should know, is living in the country illegally.

The law also requires employers with over 25 employees use E-Verify, a system to ensure their employees are qualified for work legally.

It also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to have a citizenship question on intake forms.

Finally, the law invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses obtained by those living in the country illegally.

Local organizations like the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka that serve immigrants are concerned about the effects of the new Florida law.

The Hope CommUnity Center serves over 16,000 immigrants, providing people with resources and services needed.

Meilyn Santana is the Director of Programs and Integration at the center. She said nonprofits like this one were extremely helpful when she immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil.

“I was aways helped by a lot of nonprofits when I moved to California,” she said. “They helped with pretty much everything; health care, connected me to services, even get my first career job.”

While she now is working to provide hope and help to immigrants like her, she said she is already seeing the impact from the legislation.

“Just even leaving your house to go to your community center, to take your kids to school, or to go to work is a problem,” she said.

Immigration attorney Nayef Mubarak says most of what this bill says is an admission by the state.

“I believe it’s a ‘hey we haven’t been doing it,’ so their might be intentions to actually start it,” he said. “It looks like they are taking old law and kind of buffing it up in hopes of either getting traction or actually being able to enforce it.”

“Our construction industry, our agricultural industry are definitely going to be effected,” Mubarak added. “It’s nothing new except we now may be imposing fines. It has never been legal to employ people without status.”

Santana has been advocating against the bill for months, saying unlike other bills that won’t be felt until the summer, this one is different.

“We know it is already affecting us,” Santana said. “Hasn’t even started. And we think it will only get worse.”

The law also says family members who harbor, assist, or conceal people from law enforcement will face criminal penalties.

Republican lawmakers said they hope it puts pressure on the federal government to fix what they say is a broken immigration system.

“I want your families to be legal and every time someone comes up here and says they have family and friends that are in this country illegal, I blame the federal government. Because it’s their fault,” said Sen. Blaise Ingoglia prior to the bill becoming law.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security will revert to the former immigration process, known under Title 8. Those who unlawfully cross the border are subject to criminal penalties and will also be restricted access if they attempt to enter again.

“Unlike under Title 42, an individual who was removed under Title 8 is subject to at least a five-year bar on re-entry into the United States and can face criminal prosecution if they attempt to cross again,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.

The DHS wants people to know that as Title 42 ends; the border is not open, and immigration laws will be tougher in the future.