DeSantis and Republicans give permits to companies that violate immigration laws

As Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers debate convening a special legislative session on immigration, there are important points to remember.

These politicians want undocumented workers in this state. We have the law and their own recorded words to prove it.

Two years ago, Republican lawmakers passed a law that protects companies that hire illegally from punishment.

That would be like giving a license to traffickers while vowing to crack down on human trafficking.

Politicians argued that the 2023 law would crack down on companies that don’t use the federal government’s E-Verify database to first vet employers. But read the actual law. I did that. According to the law, companies caught violating the law will only be punished if they are caught violating the law three times, and only if they are given 30 days to correct how they violated the law. Please tell me another law was treated that way.

Do carjackers have 30 days to stop stealing cars before being handcuffed? Does a drug dealer have to be arrested three times before he’s arrested? Of course. No.

This law was enacted to ensure that companies that profit from illegal labor continue to earn profits.

You can listen to and believe the frothy, anti-immigrant rhetoric these people spew. Or you can actually read the bill they passed (SB 1718) for yourself. i dare you.

This state is run by politicians who demonize the back-breaking workers of fields, construction sites, and landscaping jobs while ensuring that campaign donors who profit from their labor get a free pass. are. That is exploitation, plain and simple. And it’s ugly.

The U.S. Farm Bureau acknowledges on its website that “the vast majority of U.S. farmworkers work without permits…” and previously estimated that number to be as high as 70%. The Florida Legislature passed legislation to ensure this situation remains the same.

Want more proof? Remember when Mr. DeSantis made national news by flying a plane full of newly arrived immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard? Note that Mr. DeSantis did not fly the immigrants in from Florida. He actually runs the state and frequently describes it as a state with a large number of illegal aliens.

Want more evidence? Listen to what Republicans themselves think no one else is listening to.

Eighteen months ago, Republican Reps. Rick Ross and Alina Garcia, not knowing they were being recorded, told immigrant workers in South Florida they were supporting immigrants. I begged him to ignore all the harsh arguments about the law, and he promised he would. More talk than action.

Ross, who is a farmer himself, called the immigration bill “more of a political bill than a policy bill.” Garcia agreed, calling the new law “totally ineffective.”

They hoped that Latino faith leaders would encourage their members to continue working in Florida’s tourism, agriculture and construction industries.

The reality is that immigration is a complex debate. Americans want cheap produce and workers who can tar their roofs and mow their lawns for cheap. But many also enjoy shouting about the very people who make it happen.

The Department of Agriculture claims that the agricultural industry requires illegal labor. That’s because “few American workers are willing to take vacant farm labor positions.” What they really mean is that very few workers toil in the scorching heat of Florida’s farms for the low wages offered.

As a result, the United States fills these jobs with immigrant workers. Some have visas, but many are here without permission and end up working in exploitative positions where they dare not complain about wages or working conditions for fear of deportation.

It’s a system that offers a one-pound bag of tomatoes for $1.19. There are many people in this country who stuff their faces with cheap produce and are angry about the very workers who allow them to do so.

I have long supported requiring electronic authentication for two reasons.

1) If we actually required all workers to be citizens or have visas, I think the leaders of this country would eventually be forced to commit to comprehensive immigration reform. I believe it.

2) I believe that businesses should obey the law.

Florida Republican lawmakers disagree. Please read this law again. Companies caught violating the law will have “30 days to correct noncompliance,” and the state will only fine companies caught violating the law “three times in a 24-month period.” , it is written. No other law works like this.

I actually feel for businesses, especially small businesses, who struggle to meet customer demands and can’t always know if they’re being given fake documents by a job applicant.

But remember: This law does not require companies to employ people legally. It just asks them to prove they tried. But Mr. DeSantis has given employers pass after pass without doing so.

I will provide the state Department of Commerce (DeSantis’ Office, which is responsible for fines on businesses) with a list of all (or some) businesses that the department has fined within the 18 months since this law went into effect. I asked him if he was willing. You may be shocked to learn that the agency did not answer that question.

The bottom line is that while Florida politicians claim urgent action is needed on immigration, they are far from cracking down on an industry that admits the majority of its workers pay illegal salaries. This means that they should have been able to take action beforehand.

Instead, they enacted laws designed to ensure the continuation of illegal employment and profiteering. On the other hand, it denigrates the very workers who can reap the literal fruits of their low-paid and often exploited labor.

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