In recent years, the hunt for undocumented immigrants has increased nation-wide. One of the USA’s most immigrant based states’- Florida – has felt an extreme amount of pressure as the Florida government increased efforts to round up this group of people. In 2023, a Florida law was enacted, requiring employers to verify their employees’ immigration status if they oversee more than 25 workers at a time. If employers do not comply, they will be forced to pay a fine of $1000 per day until they provide the verification the state government wants. This law has made it easier for the Florida government to crack down on their goals.
This has affected Florida’s economy drastically. As hundreds of workers are caught and taken away, businesses are left with fewer employees, leaving them understaffed. In an effort to solve this problem, Governor DeSantis proposed a solution: teenagers. “Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts, college students should be able to do this stuff,” explained the governor according to “The Tampa Bay Times.” The governor has proposed lowering the legal age to work within the state, which would allow 13 and 14 year olds to enter the labor force. Currently, it is illegal for anyone under 14 to work in the state of Florida, as well as working before 6:30 AM and after 11 PM. With this new modification to the existing laws, the age to legally work will be lowered to 13. Minors will also now be able to work overnight, regardless of school hours the next day.
Led by Rep. Monique Miller, this idea passed through the Florida Senate’s Commerce and Tourism committee on April 1, 2025, ending with five votes in favor and four against the changes proposed. In other to become an official law, the bill will need to go through two other committees and the entire Florida Senate. Reactions from the surrounding public has been controversial, but overall resentful of this ‘solution’. Regardless if this law passes, Florida employers are required to follow federal minor employment laws, which prohibit any individual under the age of 14 to work in anything other than agriculture. “Because federal law says that children cannot work under age 14 except in agricultural settings, this amendment only serves to change the age a Florida child can work on a farm from 14 to 13,” said Sadaf Knight, a Florida Policy Institute CEO. “This alarming development seemingly looks to our youngest teens to fill an agricultural labor shortage gap. If lawmakers truly prioritize the health, safety, and education of Florida youth, they will reject any further undoing of child labor protections in our state.”
Only time will tell whether Floridian’s value the push for economic success over the preservation of childhood.
