Immigration is a top issue for voters this presidential election. Immigration laws are complex and how it affects Floridians is complex too.
WUSF reporter Nancy Guan untangles some of the complicated issues surrounding immigration.
What’s the difference between undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers?
“First of all, undocumented immigrants, they are people who are in the U.S. without legal authorization, but that could cover a broad swath of people in different scenarios. For example, they could have come into the U.S. undetected. That means they could have came in through the border without being apprehended by border patrol agents. Or they could have come to the U.S. with a valid visa, such as a tourist visa or a student visa, and overstayed when that visa expired, to put it simply, undocumented,” Guan said.
“Asylum seekers, on the other hand, are actively seeking asylum or that refugee status, so they've either filed an application or intend to file an application to seek asylum, so they're at least on that pathway that could lead to citizenship, because if you receive asylum, you could eventually apply for a green card. But I think it's important to note that people who cross, people who enter the U.S. without authorization, or cross the border legally, can apply for asylum, and that's what we're seeing happen at the border.”
What about the term “illegal immigrant?”
“In short, it's not a formal term, but it's been used to describe people who are who do not have the legal right to be in the U.S. We've heard politicians, especially those on the right, use the term illegal immigrant pretty frequently, and I think it's fair to say pretty broadly, to stoke fears about the immigrant community. I think it's important to note that the Associated Press actually dropped using the term illegal immigrant back in 2013 because it is imprecise, actually, and can be harmful.”
Do undocumented immigrants pay taxes?
A report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy showed undocumented immigrants in Florida paid $1.8 billion in state and local taxes.
“At the same time, they're not able to access a lot of the social services that receive money from taxes, so essentially, they're paying into a system that benefits mainly people with legal status,” Guan said.
How does the immigration system and immigration law impact people in Florida without legal paperwork?
Guan said options are limited without a Social Security number and proper work authorization, as well as a lack of resources and social services. There’s also a huge backlog of immigration and asylum cases within the U.S. and Florida.
The lack of options has created a sense of uncertainty within the immigrant community.
“But the people that I've spoken with who work closely with the immigrant community have told me stories that families are often living in fear, especially if they're undocumented, especially recently, where you know, Florida has passed policies meant to crack down on illegal immigration,” she said.
That includes a sweeping immigration law that went into effect in Florida in 2023.
“Advocates have told me people have been afraid to go to work. They've been afraid to drive, afraid to seek medical care. And in Florida, we have about 1.2 million undocumented individuals. And it's also important to note that the laws don't only affect them, but it affects their family members, so there's a ripple effect.”
