Senate approves softer immigration bill

Immigrants have rallied in Tallahassee for weeks and their effort may have paid off; the Senate passed a more lenient immigration bill.


By Patricia Mazzei
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

Tallahassee -- For two days this week, Sen. JD Alexander sat behind his desk on the floor of the Florida Senate with a rosary draped across his laptop screen.

It was a gift from one of the hundreds of immigrant children and their parents who for weeks visited the state Capitol to protest a proposed immigration crackdown. The groups moved from holding outdoor protests at the steps of the Old Capitol to packing committee rooms and, eventually, taking over most of the fourth-floor lobby outside the Florida House and Senate chambers.

Some of their pleas were heard. The Senate signed off on its immigration bill Wednesday — but without a key provision pushing employers to check the immigration status of workers. That omission may kill any immigration reform this year because the House wants a tougher stance.

“It’s easy to talk about — you know, down at the post office, at the bar — you know, we ought to do this thing,â€