Illegal immigration in the crosshairs of legislators this session
By BRAD KANE

Saturday, March 1, 2008

A handful of Florida lawmakers are proposing a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Several bills slated for the legislative session starting Tuesday make life in the Sunshine State harder for those who are not legal residents of this country and those who benefit from their labor.

Largely a federal issue, states have limited reach in regulating illegal immigration, but these proposals refocus Florida’s attention on the hot button issue.

The proposals vary, but include having law enforcement agencies do residency checks with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on suspected illegal immigrants; giving driver licenses only to legal immigrants and U.S. citizens; and having local governments only work with contractors guaranteed not to have illegal immigrant employees.

“We are ahead of the curve on that one,â€