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 Floridian government increased efforts in catching this group of people.  In 2023, a Florida law was enacted, requiring employers to verify their employees’ immigrant 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 the they provide the verification the state government wants. This law has made it easier in catching these immigrants, allowing the Floridian government to crack down on their goals effectively.

This cause has seemingly affected Floridian economy drastically. As hundreds of workers are caught and taken away, businesses are left with less employees, leaving them understaffed. In an effort to solve this problem, Governor DeSantis proposed the only solution plausible: children. “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 Tampa Bay Times. The governor has proposed to lower the legal age to work within the state, emitting thirteen and fourteen year olds into the labor force. Currently, it is illegal for anyone under fourteen to work  in the state of Florida, as well as working before 6:30 AM and after 11 PM. The lowest age to legally work will be thirteen with this new modification. Minors will now be able to work overnight, regardless of school hours the next day.

Led by Rep. Monique Miller, this idea passed through the Floridian 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 by the surrounding public has been controversial, but overall resentful of this ‘solution’. Regardless if this law passes, Floridian 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.”