Gabrielle Russon
Florida is one step closer to expanding E-Verify to require all private businesses, both big and small, to crack down on hiring illegal workers.
The House has approved legislation (HB 955) that would require all businesses with under 25 employees to check employees’ status using E-Verify. A 2023 state law already requires businesses with more than 25 employees to use E-Verify.
The House’s 88-25 vote came after the Legislature held a Special Session in February to address illegal immigration.
“This bill simply enforces federal law,” said Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican cosponsoring the bill.
Meanwhile, some Democrats attacked the bill because they feared it could leave Florida’s agriculture, construction and hospitality industries with worker shortages and hurt the state’s economy.
“As an immigrant myself, I cannot turn my back on my immigrant community,” said Rep. Marie Woodson, a Hollywood Democrat. “Have some humanity, have some compassion, because this is not the way to solve the issue. Immigration has been broken for years. We know it’s a problem, but let’s put our heads together and see what we can do. This is not the right way to do it.”
Some Democrats tied the E-Verify bill to other legislation seeking to loosen child labor laws.
“Why will we further attack immigrant workers when the only alternative presented is to replace them with minors?” asked Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat.
But Rep. Kiyan Michael, the other Republican cosponsor, implored lawmakers to remember who they took the oath of office for. It shouldn’t be for undocumented immigrants, she said.
“We are a law-and-order state, and every one of us that sit in these seats, we took an oath,” the Jacksonville Republican said as she described how her son was killed in 2007 in a car crash involving an illegal immigrant. “The reason why I fight so hard on these type of bills is because I don’t want other people, other Americans, impacted like we have been, and that’s the truth.”
Through E-Verify, the Department of Homeland Security works with the Social Security Administration to confirm if someone is legally authorized to work in the United States.
Jacques said using the federal government’s E-Verify tool does not cost anything for employers when they submit their workers’ names, Social Security numbers and addresses, which is information bosses should already have on hand, he said.
The Senate, however, has failed to move companion legislation through a single committee.
