Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is playing hardball with employers who have failed to verify that all their employees are in the country legally.
Officials in the Sunshine State’s Department of Economic Opportunity said they sent out letters last month to six employers that they said had not yet complied with the state’s E-Verify law.
“At the governor’s direction, Florida is cracking down on the unlawful employment of unauthorized aliens in the state of Florida,” DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement.
“At the governor’s direction, Florida is cracking down on the unlawful employment of unauthorized aliens in the state of Florida.” – Governor DeSantis’ Office Spokesman @BryanDGriffin https://t.co/WP59nEzNMn
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) January 16, 2023
The companies were warned that their state business licenses would be suspended if they continued refusing to comply.
Responses to the notices were due on Monday, according to the report. It was unknown Thursday how many had complied.
The six entities receiving the letters included two from out of state: the American National Red Cross, based in St. Louis, Missouri, and Upperline Health, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee.
The remaining four based in Florida were MDL Property Maintenance, Inc., of Boynton Beach; Intelycare, Inc., of Clearwater and Quincy, Massachusetts; Prestige Cruise Services, LLC, of Miami; and ScribeAmerica, LLC, of Ft. Lauderdale.
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As of Friday, Prestige Cruise Services was the only one of the six that responded with proof of compliance with the law, Florida’s Voice reported.
The department said the next step for the remaining five “is for DEO to notify the agencies that hold their licenses of their noncompliance.”
Those agencies will then suspend “all applicable licenses held by the employer until the private employer provides the department with the required affidavit,” Florida’s Voice reported.
DeSantis signed the bill in 2020 requiring private employers to use E-Verify to ensure employees’ eligibility to work in the U.S., according to The Center Square.
Unlike his predecessors, DeSantis said at the time, he was able to work with the Florida legislature to get E-Verify legislation passed.
“For years prior to my administration, attempts to pass E-Verify legislation in Florida failed, but I would not yield until this matter was addressed,” DeSantis told Breitbart.
The governor said the use of E-Verify puts “upward pressure [on] Floridians’ wages” and protects public safety, Breitbart reported.
“Assuring a legal workforce through E-Verify is crucial to upholding the rule of law and deters illegal immigration into Florida, which is more important than ever given the border crisis,” he added.
