by Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
May 23, 2025

Amid ongoing raids in Florida immigrant communities, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signed a bill Thursday creating an avenue for relief against people unlawfully providing immigration legal services.

HB 915, one of 17 bills DeSantis signed Thursday, prohibits notaries public from advertising their services using language that implies they possess professional legal skills in immigration law. Notaries public are authorized to serve as witnesses and verify signatures on documents such as powers of attorney, deeds, and estates.

Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst with Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a phone interview that the group sought help from lawmakers in addressing the problem of notaries public providing immigration legal services, which he described as an epidemic in Central and South Florida. He called the signing of the new law good news.

“This is happening all over the place. People are very, very desperate for some sort of solution or adjustment of status that leaves them vulnerable for people that are preying on them,” Kennedy said, pointing to the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in Florida at risk of deportation after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this week allowing the Trump administration to strip the immigrants of temporary protections and work permits.

A series of special sessions at the beginning of the year yielded hundreds of millions for local law enforcement to engage in immigration enforcement, plus new laws heightening penalties for immigrants living in the country without authorization. However, during the regular legislative session, lawmakers didn’t pass other proposals cracking down on legal aid for immigrant children and companies hiring people unauthorized to work in the country.

But nearly all lawmakers agreed to pass the bill from Orlando Democratic Rep. Johanna López, allowing people to recover damages in civil lawsuits from notaries public providing representation in immigration law matters.

Further, notaries public won’t be able to refer to themselves as “notario público,” the term in Spanish, because in some Latin American countries “notarios” can file legal documents, give legal advice, and represent people in court, according to the final legislative analysis of the bill.

Still, Kennedy said passing a pro-immigrant law in this climate was no easy feat.

“I guess common sense prevailed in this matter,” he said.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

The post An immigrant advocacy group is celebrating this bill DeSantis signed to curb legal services scams appeared first on floridaphoenix.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This content presents a generally supportive view of efforts to protect immigrant communities from fraudulent legal representation, highlighting a bill signed by a conservative governor but emphasizing pro-immigrant perspectives. It gives voice to immigrant advocacy groups and underscores the challenges faced by immigrants, suggesting a sympathetic stance toward immigrant rights while maintaining factual coverage of legislative actions. This approach aligns with a center-left position that favors immigrant protections and legal accountability without strongly criticizing the governor’s broader policies.