PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas County has worked to open the doors for Hispanic entrepreneurs for over a year now. But they say the immigration bill known internally as SB 1718 is dampening those efforts.
What You Need To Know
- Joe Lugo is a business owner and part of the Hispanic Chamber of commerce for Pinellas County, and he’s concerned over the impact of SB 1718
- Lugo believes the bill will force people into hiding and impact the county’s economy
- The portion Lugo describes details those business owners with more than 25 people will be required to E-Verify their employees to ensure they are eligible for employment for the state
There are more than 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide. In Pinellas County, according to the chamber, there are more than 300 Hispanic-owned businesses.
For Joe Lugo, helping people has always been his passion. It’s the reason he started his own business, J3 Creations.
“I have experienced marginalization, being underserved and really looked at as different,” he says.
His business aims to uplift and teach about diversity and how that impacts equity. However, Lugo says SB 1718 is placing fear into his clients.
He says one of the biggest concerns is the number of employees that will be without a job because of their legal status. With this comes a lot of change, says Lugo.
“It’s going to change the landscape and the demographic, because people are panicking and running on their fear, so we’re going to have a mass migration,” he said.
The part of the bill Lugo is referencing states that businesses with more than 25 employees must use an E-Verify system to ensure its employees are eligible for employment in the state.
“Right now in Pinellas County, there’s at least 11% to 15% of the market is Latino based, that’s a pretty significant number,” says Lugo.
According to Lugo, that number benefits the county economy, but it also helps to expand opportunities by providing migrants other means of working. He feels this bill impacts the growth within the Hispanic community.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s latest employment projections show that by 2023, Hispanic workers will make up 35.9 million of the labor force. This is a significant jump from 10.7 million as of 1990 and 29 million as of 2020.
Lugo says the growth that’s come from these Hispanic businesses will change.
“There are so many young women and young men and even people who might be older that that have so much to offer that can be a positive addition,” he said.
As a business owner and VP of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas County, he is working to keep their partners informed and the community aware of the changes.