Florida plan to use remittances in illegal immigration crackdown causes jitters

 

The governor of Florida is seeking to use remittances as part of the illegal immigration crackdown in the United States.

 

Ron DeSantis wants to require anyone sending money overseas, to show proof that they are not an undocumented immigrant.

 

"People will come illegally because they can work more menial task but make a lot more money in the US than they can in like a third world country. So they'll come, make money, and then they send money back in remittances...to their family, friends, whereever, to the home country," he noted. 

 

"We are going to impose ID verification for foreign remittances, so you have to show it's like an e-verify for remittances; the money transfer company, it's got to run you through to make sure that you're lawfully able to be in the country and to send money outside of our country," the Florida governor announced. 

 

Several undocumented immigrants, including Jamaicans, make remittances to family abroad, which means the country would be affected if this provision were to be passed into law.

 

Remittances from the US make up a large chunk of the GDP of many countries.

 

In 2023, remittance inflows to Jamaica totalled US$3.37 billion.

 

Haiti gets about 22% of its total GDP from US-based families, many of whom are in Florida.

 

Tessa Petit, who heads the Florida Immigrant Coalition, says cracking down on remittances could further destabilise these countries and drive up migration.

 

Under the proposal, if the state determines that undocumented immigrants have sent money abroad through a Florida-based company, the company would be fined 25% of the dollar amount transferred.