This is a requirement that the governor successfully promoted during his first term for the public sector and now he wants to extend it to the private sector.
“In Florida, like most states, you have to be eligible, legally here to work,” the governor said, but enforcing that can be difficult, and he announced the state legislature will be able to vote. on a bill requiring all private employers to use the electronic e-verify system to verify the immigration status of their employees.
“This extends to the requirement that is already in place for our state employees and contractors,” the governor said.
Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition said, “We’re going to see how it works with the agricultural sector in our state. Let’s see who is going to pick the lettuce, the tomato and let’s see how they are going to feel when they have to pay double, triple for the supermarket prices”
“We will increase the penalty for human trafficking,” the governor said.
“But if you bring your cousin or a relative from another country, you have a third-degree felony,” Kennedy says.
The governor’s proposal also makes it a third-degree felony to transport, conceal, or harbor an illegal immigrant in Florida.
A sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $5,000. If the immigrant is under 18, it becomes a second degree felony. A sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.00. And they will face a separate charge for each illegal immigrant.
“We will ban the practice of certain counties giving out ID cards to illegal immigrants,” the governor said.
Among other things, it also calls for a ban on college and university cost cuts for undocumented students and calls for hospitals to report any expenses they have for treating illegal immigrants. All this will be discussed during the legislative session which begins in March in Tallahasee.