Florida House advances proposal to mandate E-Verify
The bill, which advanced Thursday in the Florida House, would make the use of E-Verify mandatory. The federal database allows employers to confirm a worker’s legal status.
Only companies with 25 or more employees are required to use the system under current state law.
“For the vast majority of cases, we’re going to know pretty instantaneously whether or not the person you’re hiring is authorized,” said Rep. Berny Jacques, a Clearwater Republican sponsoring the bill.
Violations could result in financial penalties, including fines of up to $1,000 per day for employers who fail to comply.
Labor advocates, however, argue that immigration enforcement should remain a federal responsibility.
“States cannot fix the immigration system in this country with these haphazard, headline-chasing approaches like requiring E-Verify,” said Rich Templin, political director for the Florida AFL-CIO.
The legislation is part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration. But Democrats in the House say the measure does little to address larger problems with the nation’s immigration system.
“I think both parties have agreed that there are things that could be done about immigration,” said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat. “The challenge has been getting those done in a bipartisan way and advancing policies that actually would help the issue.”
According to data from the Center for Immigration Studies, about 56 percent of undocumented workers in Florida are employed at workplaces not currently required to use E-Verify.
The proposal, which stalled in the Senate last session, will need Senate approval before it can reach the governor’s desk. It’s got one more committee stop in the House.
