The local reactionaries wanted a crackdown on immigration, and the politicians were more than willing to give it to them. The immigrants predictably left in droves. Guess what happened after that? There were serious labor shortages in businesses that were critical to the voters. You couldn’t find anyone to mow your lawn or fix your house or pick your crops or take care of your elderly parents anymore. The reactionaries grumbled that this wasn’t what they thought they were getting, but they were just being stupid, and it was way too late to do anything about it.
This is the UK after Brexit. Is it Florida after the new immigration legislation? Probably.