Carolina Wassmer, director of PoderLatinx, a “civic and social justice organization dedicated to building and strengthening the political power of the Latinx community” expressed concern about a new state law that prohibits noncitizens from participating in voter registration efforts in Florida. The restriction, part of SB7050, was temporarily blocked by a federal court, but the state is appealing the ruling.

She expressed fears that the organization would be devastated if the ban is reinstated, arguing that many lawful permanent residents, who are not citizens, play important roles in civic activities — such as voter registration — as part of their journey to becoming citizens or to learning various aspects of U.S. government. The injunction allowed the organization to continue its activities, even with non-citizens, who cannot vote, performing relevant functions, according to the NBC News report.

The law also provides for a significant fine for non-citizens who participate in the handling of voter registration forms. The concern is that if the injunction is lifted, the organization will have to undergo a complete restructuring, which would be devastating for the program.

The article also highlights the position of the spokesperson for the Florida Secretary of State, who declined to comment on the pending litigation. It also mentions that the injunction was granted as part of a lawsuit filed by the "Hispanic Federation," a national Latino advocacy group, which is challenging several parts of the Republican-sponsored law.

The state’s justification for the law is to clean up the registration process by targeting groups that turn in late voter registration forms and preventing non-citizens from voting. However, Democrats and critics, including the Hispanic Federation, argue that such laws have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, undermining voter registration efforts conducted by third-party organizations.

The article also mentions that the law is scheduled to go to trial in April, and that the Hispanic Federation and other groups are challenging the law as part of a broader effort against election restriction laws in Florida. The federal judge who issued the injunction highlighted the lack of evidence connecting non-citizens to voter registration delays, questioning the effectiveness of the state's proposed solution to the identified problem.