(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – The administration of Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened companies not to employ illegal aliens or face the risk of getting shut down.
Several Florida businesses have received letters from the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) warning that their licenses would be suspended if they fail to offer proof of compliance with E-Verify.
E-Verify is an online system through which employers confirm that their workers are eligible to work in the United States, i.e., that they do not employ illegal aliens.
The Florida companies who received the DEO letters were flagged by the state’s Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) for “repeat non-responsiveness” to requests for E-Verify compliance proof.
“If you persist and fail to respond to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), there will be significant consequences,” the letters say, as cited by Breitbart News.
They warn the flagged employers that they offer a “final opportunity to respond before consequences are initiated,” and there will be no extensions or excuses.
The letters gave employers a month to respond with an affidavit affirming they were obeying the law and ending any employment of illegal immigrants.
The DEO letters made it clear that noncompliance would lead to the suspension of “all licenses” “specific to the business location where the unauthorized alien(s) performed work” or the “primary place of business.”
The companies that received the warnings from the DeSantis administration include Prestige Cruise Services LLC, Upperline Health Inc, and the American National Red Cross. Their deadline for responding was Monday, January 16, 2023.
“[This administration is] cracking down on the unlawful employment of unauthorized aliens in the state of Florida,” DeSantis’s deputy press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, told Central Square.
“Six companies have failed to [provide compliance proof] after repeated notices and are subject to the suspension of their licenses to operate their business in the state. They have been issued final notices of noncompliance,” he added.
The present action is not the first time the DeSantis administration has moved to enforce E-Verify compliance as a guarantee against the employment of illegal immigrants in the state.
In 2021, it put signs on all major interstate highways entering Florida that the state uses E-Verify.
“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 said.
He also pointed out that using E-Verify places “upward pressure [on] Floridians’ wages” and boosts public safety.
“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,” the GOP governor added.
A poll by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA conducted after the 2022 midterms found voters support a nationwide crackdown on employers hiring illegal immigrants.
What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with DeSantis’ plan? Please share your thoughts and views by emailing [email protected]. Thank you.
Florida is threatening to suspend licenses for businesses failing to provide proof of E-Verify compliance, which ensures they are not employing illegal immigrants. https://t.co/QJeOLLVf84
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 17, 2023
