Speaking to a group of supporters at The Villages, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday once again vowed to require Florida businesses to use a federal system to check the immigration status of new hires.
Flanked by Sen. Joe Gruters and Rep. Cord Byrd, two key Republican lawmakers who helped the governor deliver a ban on so-called sanctuary cities this spring, DeSantis said mandating E-Verify will be the next step in deterring undocumented immigrants from coming to Florida.
“The fact is that the number one reason why we have illegal immigration is because of an employment magnet,” the governor said. “I support things like a wall, but really, the number one reason why you see a flow is because of that (employment).”
DeSantis has made a priority of the controversial proposal ahead of the 2020 legislative session, which starts in January. But Senate President Bill Galvano has expressed caution about approving the measure, saying last month its passage is “not guaranteed.” Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, has filed legislation (SB 664) that would require all private employers to use E-Verify. Gruters, a Sarasota senator who doubles as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, is co-sponsoring the legislation.
Byrd, R-Neptune Beach, has yet to file an E-Verify bill in the House. He told the News Service of Florida on Friday he is still working on drafting the proposal and will “file soon.”
House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, has not responded to requests for comment about where he stands on the issue.
In the past, E-Verify proposals have been fiercely opposed by the construction, agriculture and tourism industries and have not passed. A coalition of business leaders, chaired by South Florida health-care executive Mike Fernandez, sent a letter this year to DeSantis, Galvano and Oliva asking them to oppose the “notoriously flawed” system.
DeSantis, however, has stuck to his support of E-Verify, saying the hiring of “cheap, illegal labor” needs to stop.
DeSantis Presses for Passing E-Verify System added by The News Service of Florida on
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The administrative burden of e-verify is very much understated. I have a small business with only a few employees. I did a school project in Georgia a few years back, and they required me to participate in e-verify (I think the state of Georgia requires it for all vendors working with government organizations). The sign-up process and the required online training, testing (!), etc., was several hours. Keep in mind, I wasn’t hiring anybody, they just required me to be “signed up”.
If I actually hired anybody, there is a big online process. If the employee doesn’t pass, you can’t actually fire them; the employee has to go through some process where maybe someone comes to interview everyone and talk about it, and then there is an appeals process, and this could go on for weeks or months. Did I mention, you can’t fire the person during this process? Now, after all their appeals are exhausted and the employee is declared ineligible for employment – do you know what the fine is for not firing them? “up to $2500” –that’s more like a punchline than a penalty.
Yeah, they don’t put any of this on the e-verify marketing brochure.
Exactly. I dont agree with making business do the federal govts job because they won’t protect the border.
We should be much more concerned with immigrants who don’t want to work than with immigrants who do. Shut off the welfare spigot; employers and employees will all be better off.
Let Snidely break it down:
What we are seeing here is one of two things. Let me know which one you feel is most likely.
Presented below in no particular order.
1. DeSantis really believes E-Verify will be good for Florida.
…..OR…..
2. This is a shake-down for all big business that benifit from the hiring of “cheap, illegal labor” to dig deep in the good ‘Ole corporate pockets and make a serious commitment of substantial Republican State and National donations to magically make E-Verify not be passed into law for the 18th or 19th year in a row.
So is it a belief from the heart or yet another money grab shake-down threat to implement a law that has not been implemented for years upon years?
Which is it???
Hey Snidely, If Gillum was our governor I’d say it would definitely be a shakedown…but as far as I can tell, DeSantis has done a bang up job as our governor with every policy initiative he’s pursued being on the up and up…so until proven otherwise I’ll give him the benefit of any doubt that he’s just trying to do the right thing…which if successful may help “legal” lower paid workers in construction, agriculture, and tourism get jobs…and a raise…without passing a minimum wage law.
I like your take on the situation Vernon.
A close read of the article makes Snidely feel Senate Pres. Galvano may have already accepted some big payments from his construction, ag., and tourism constituents and thus is not on board with the Governor on E-Verify. Actually Galvano has made some disturbing anti amendment 2 statements agreeing with the left on their gun control agenda.
Why did you Senators put Galvano in charge? Big mistake.
And praise God Gillum is not lurking in the Governor’s Mansion. THANK YOU FLORIDA VOTERS.