We are deporting undocumented immigrants. So, what do we do about the labor gap? Get children to do it, Florida says.
According to the Miami Herald, the Florida State Committee on Tuesday (March 25) advanced a bill that would loosen child labor laws, allowing teenagers as young as 14 to work overnight shifts.
The bill, which allegedly passed with five votes in favor and four against, is part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to replace “dirt cheap” labor from undocumented immigrants.
“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,” DeSantis said last week during a panel discussion with President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.
The governor said the state has adopted various measures to help crack down on the hiring of undocumented workers, including enacting a 2023 law that mandates businesses with over 25 employees to verify workers’ immigration status through E-Verify, a federal database.
Employers who fail to comply with the law face fines of $1,000 daily until they provide proof that their workers are legal citizens.
“Yes, we had people that left because of those rules, but you’ve also been able to hire other people. And what’s wrong with expecting our young people to be working part-time now? I mean, that’s how it used to be when I was growing up,” DeSantis said.
The governor’s remarks sparked a heated debate online. Critics argued that the bill would open the door to child exploitation, while supporters called it a “parental rights” issue.
For those unfamiliar, the Florida SB 918 bill still has to go through two other relevant committees before being put to a vote with the full Florida Senate.
However, if passed, the bill would allow teens to work overnight jobs during the school week.
And while it doesn’t necessarily introduce anything new to Florida statutes, it does seek to revise existing child labor rules, including removing some restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds and limiting the state’s ability to regulate their work hours.
Currently, minors can’t work more than 30 hours a week when school is in session unless they have a waiver. They’re also prohibited from working during school hours unless they’re enrolled in a career education program.
Currently, 16- and 17-year-olds working eight-hour shifts are entitled to a 30-minute meal break after four consecutive hours of work. Florida SB 918 would remove this restriction but maintain it for minors who are 15 and under.
Current Florida child labor laws also allow some exceptions to subsections 1-4 of Section 450.081 for workers 16 and older, however, the Florida SB 918 bill would extend those exceptions to include 14-year-olds.
Tomorrow in the Florida Legislature, a bill putting children—their education, wellbeing, and futures—at risk, is being heard in the Senate. SB 918 would repeal most child labor protections for 16 & 17 year olds, & even some for 14 & 15 year olds. pic.twitter.com/f3SAy4FqXL
— Holly Bullard, hollybullardfl @ the better place (@HollyBullardFL) March 25, 2025
“This bill is going to lead to exploitation of minors, exploitation of children,” Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando said.
Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, reiterated her comments adding that if the bill does become law, it could pose potential health risks for teenagers including sleep deprivation, academic decline or increased pressure on students who are working to help their families financially.
“The bill takes away basic safeguards for children,” she said. “There is something detrimentally wrong with what we’re doing here in this legislation.”
