IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Walking through a farmer's market in Immokalee, Fox 4 heard from those directly feeling the impact of the newly passed immigration laws in effect in the sunshine state.
In part, the law requires any company with more than 25 employees to E-verify the citizenship of every worker.
"No one wants to work on the farm it’s not really a nice job, said Jose Villaovos. “It’s mostly Mexicans, Salvadorians Guatemalans, and some Haitians."
Villaovos is a cropper in Immokalee and he told FOX 4's Briana Brownlee he is noticing the impact on the agriculture business right here in Southwest Florida.
He said he has witnessed many of his customers, farmers, and other croppers leave the state.
“They kinda got scared with the new law. They were thinking ‘Man if I stay here, I’m going to get deported'," Villaovos said.
Fox 4 also met another cropper named Marcino Jaugarez. He couldn't speak English but Villaovos translated.
“He basically said his crops are going bad because no one is here to buy them. We got watermelon going bad, corn going bad," Villaovos said.
“I think we all have considered the fact of how’s going to affect our economy, our food," said Immigration Attorney Eloise Ayala.
Attorney Ayala has served the Immokalee community for years and recently branched off to open her own practice that targets people who need help with becoming citizens.
She said with so many concerns surrounding the new state immigration laws it's time for her community to take action.
Thursday, June 1st, there will be a labor strike where migrant workers take a day off as a protest, to send the message that without workers Florida's economy doesn't grow.
“The point is for employers to feel the absence of their workers—that if all those workers were to leave that's the consequences of that," Attorney Ayala said.
There will also be an "Immokalee March" on June 1st at 4:00 pm. The march will be held at 106 3rd Street Immokalee Florida.
