Immigrants Barred from Legal Practice in Florida

Weeks after the attorney bar exam, Florida has decided to disqualify certain immigrants from becoming attorneys.  According to the Tampa Bay Times, Governor Rick DeSantis is repealing a 2014 state law that granted permission for to practice law within the state to immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The bill originally passed with bipartisan support and was signed by Republican Rick Scott, who is now a U.S. senator and was the former Governor of Florida. The repeal takes effect in November. 

While state practices vary (the most comprehensive list may be from the late Michael Olivas, here), California and New York are two states with a high proportion of immigrants that do not make citizenship status a requirement to take the bar exam. The Florida law change comes at a time when other jurisdictions are expanding opportunities for immigrants to hold public employment, such as Illinois permitting police officers and California, Nevada, and Wisconsin considering it. (ImmigrationProf blogger Kevin Johnson previously cited Allison Brownell Tirres for her op/ed arguing that lawful immigrants should be able to work as police officer, school teacher, or probation officer because laws to the contrary “have their roots in the early 20th century, when state legislatures and nativist organizations pushed for restrictive laws to prevent immigrants from accessing various trades, professions.”)

MHC