ORLANDO, Fla. — Immigrants across Central Florida are expressing growing anxiety and concerns over possible mass deportations – which were a campaign promise by President-elect Donald Trump.
According to the American Immigration Council, 11 million undocumented immigrants lived in the United States as of 2022, which represents 3.3% of the country’s overall population. In Florida, more than 1 in 5 residents is an immigrant.
Rene Gomez is the civic engagement coordinator with the Farmworkers Association of Florida, a statewide, grassroots, community-based, nonprofit, farmworker membership organization that advocates for social and environmental justice for farmworkers.
Gomez says with Trump taking office on Jan. 20, the threat of mass deportations is creating a lot of stress among families.
“There's a lot of fear. There's a lot of anxiety and people not knowing what to do. State level, we had 1,718 that came last year. So then, on top of that, you have these mass deportation plans,” Gomez said.
SB-1718 was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis and went into effect on July 1, 2023. The law imposes restrictions and penalties meant to deter the employment of undocumented workers in the state and makes it a felony to transport an undocumented immigrant into Florida.
“People are really feeling the pressure and really feeling like Florida is just not going to be a safe place for them, unfortunately,” Gomez said.
High school senior Galilea Rojas lives in Apopka, she comes from a family of farmworkers who came from Mexico to the United States 30 years ago. Rojas says her mom has always been a pillar for her and her siblings growing up.
“She’s always supported us no matter what. She helps support my grandparents, so we just all really depend on her, and we just love her so much, because she's always been there for us,” she said.
Rojas fears mass deportations might impact her family.
“It's that constant fear, like am I going to get to see her like she is? Is ICE going to come to her work and suddenly she's not gonna be there? And it's just hard knowing that especially, as you're a child, you're in elementary, you're in middle school, you're in high school — that always just comes into the back of your mind, not knowing what or when is going to happen,” she said.
Mass deportations would also worsen the U.S. Labor shortage. Research shows agriculture and construction are the industries where unauthorized immigrants make up the highest share of the workforce.
Maria Elena Valdivia has represented Farmworkers in Pierson for the last two decades.
“We're not criminals. We're migrants that we have done everything we can to be the best citizens you could have. And we're ready for an immigration reform,” she said.
Pierson is known as "The Fern Capital of the World," with an $80 million industry of floral greens that are shipped all over the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Valdivia says close to 90% of that work is done by migrants.
“Taking all this labor out of their ferneries, of the farms, of their construction sites, it's going to impact negatively. How much? We'll have to see,” Valdivia said.
In the meantime, Gomez says all they can do is educate people about their rights.
“A lot of people don’t know — we have rights. Whether you are documented or not, it's because of the constitution, so we have the rights not to answer questions, not to sign anything without a lawyer. So, we're teaching these people we're having these little 'Know Your Rights' cards so they can carry it with them anywhere they go,” Gomez said.
They also do trainings at least once a month to keep the community informed and prepared.
“We hope nothing happens, but we have to be prepared for the worst unfortunately,” Gomez said.
Another organization advocating for immigrants’ rights in the state is The Florida Immigrant Coalition. The statewide coalition of 83 member organizations and over 100 allies was founded in 1998 and has a goal to protect immigrants in Florida.
Communications Director Adriana Rivera says mass deportations would have a huge impact in the state’s economy.
“These are really like people that are doing tough jobs, infrastructure, jobs, jobs with clients in person, such as the health care industry. And they're really like the legs that we stand on in a lot of different communities here in Florida and the backbone of our of our economy,” she said.
Rivera says The Florida Immigration Coalition has a toll-free hotline for any type of immigration-related consultation and question to report a workplace violence or raid abuse, 1-888-600-5762.