House committee supports expanding E-Verify in illegal immigration fight

Ron DeSantis is plastering these signs all over Florida highways.

As lawmakers continue to target illegal immigration, the House is advancing a proposal that would require all businesses — not just large ones — to use E-Verify to confirm their employees’ legal working status.

A 2023 state law requires employers with 25 or more employees to use E-Verify. But GOP lawmakers now want to ensure smaller employers are cooperating as well.

“With the legislative process, different folks did not want to go as far, but we saw it as a big step forward,” HB 955 sponsor Rep. Berny Jacques said before the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee. “And now we’re finishing the job.”

The Seminole Republican said using the E-Verify system is free for employers, who would get a 30-day grace period to comply and check their employees’ status in the federal system run by the Homeland Security Department. By failing to comply, employers could face fines of up to $1,000 a day and the state could eventually suspend their business licenses.

“If it’s determined that three times in the 24-month period that it wasn’t implemented, that’s when the fines start getting kicked in. So you have a good amount of time to get it right,” Jacques said, adding the legislation did not intend for a “gotcha moment.”

“We just want to make sure that we’re following immigration law here in the state of Florida when it comes to employment eligibility.”

Meanwhile, House Democrats challenged this push by saying immigrants are picking fruit and doing other challenging jobs most Floridians don’t want.

“We don’t have a workforce to support Florida’s growing population in ag, in tourism and health care. We are very reliant on immigrant labor,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who voiced concerns that undocumented workers did not have a legal path to become citizens. “It’s very difficult for me to support this type of legislation in the precarious economic situation we find ourselves in.”

The committee voted 12-4 to advance the bill.