Thread: There will be No Florida Crackdown on Undocumented Workers

Now that the campaigns are over, and reality has set in, Florida’s economy is too dependent on illegal workers to survive any serious immigration crackdown. It is hard to find anyone who supports a crackdown in any serious manner.

Not the police, not businesses, not the Republican strategists, not the Hispanic members of Congress, not the Legislature. Even Jeb Bush, who co-chaired the Hispanic Leadership Network conference last week, has been very clear on the detrimental effects a crackdown would have on the Florida economy.

The Republican who introduced the Arizona style bill in the state Senate, Mike Bennett of Bradenton, says he “might not even vote for it myself.’‘

Furthermore. Governor Scott has backed off a proposal to require private employers to use E-Verify.

The reason is simple: It would hit the tourism, construction and service industries very hard. And it would shut down agriculture. Any farm that enforced E-Verify would see its labor force dry up and its crops rot in the field. Read more of Mike Thomas’s Commentary at The Orlando Sentinel.

http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com ... e-to/4388/

Related: http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-224722.html

This is disguisting. They are caving in to big business. There are plenty of Americans that would work construction jobs, maintenance jobs, cleaning hotel rooms, cooking, working in fast food restaurants, and similar jobs stolen from Americans by illegals. Big business is only looking at maximizing their profits and they are also the ones that contribute to politicians.

While the citizens support the families of their "workers" .

this is bogus

consider the source

Florida did just fine years ago with nowhere near the illegals that are there now

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... full.story

GOV. RICK SCOTT STANDS BY PROGRAM

E-Verify illegal-worker screening system has holes, report says


January 15, 2011
Within an hour of becoming Florida's 45th governor, Rick Scott signed an order meant to ensure that anyone working for the state was in the country legally.

But the screening system that Scott is relying on lets unauthorized workers slip through its filter more than half the time because it cannot spot identity theft, according to a federal report.

The E-Verify system, a federal database available to employers, failed to identify those workers as unauthorized 54 percent of the time, according to an audit released last year. Investigators discovered that was the percentage of illegal workers incorrectly deemed eligible for work.

The study done for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services found that overall, the system correctly determined a worker's immigration status 96 percent of the time.

But among those ultimately found to be here illegally — the group Scott is concerned about — its accuracy rate plunged.

Researchers wrote that the results were "not surprising" given that many unauthorized workers use someone else's identity to get a job.

"E-Verify, as currently formulated, does not detect most identity fraud cases for workers who use information about real employment-authorized persons," the report said. "If a worker presents documents that contain information about a real work-authorized person, and if the documents appear to be valid, E-Verify is unlikely to detect the identity fraud."

After a trade meeting in Orlando this week, Scott said he was comfortable with the system's performance.

"My experience in the private sector with E-Verify is that it's extremely accurate," said Scott, a former health-care-company executive.

A Scott spokeswoman later addressed the issue, saying, "No system is perfect, but stopping one out of two illegal workers from taking American jobs is better than stopping none."

E-Verify is a federal database that allows employers to determine whether a person is legally entitled to work in this country. Businesses enrolled in the program submit information such as the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of new hires. E-Verify then determines whether the employee is eligible for work.

About 242,000 businesses across the country and almost 11,000 in Florida are registered with the system. Last year, more than 583,000 queries from state businesses were run through the system, more than double the total of the previous year.

Advocates say the system is an effective tool in the effort to reduce the number of illegal workers. During the governor's campaign, Scott highlighted the system, saying he would push to use it statewide.

His campaign website contained a section on border security that promised: "Rick will require all Florida employers to use the free E-Verify system to ensure that their workers are legal."

Scott took a first step toward fulfilling that pledge when he ordered state agencies and contractors to use E-Verify. But he has since backtracked, suggesting this week that he has no plans to force the issue with private employers.

"One of my executive orders was that all state agencies would use E-Verify," Scott said in Orlando. "And right now I'm satisfied with that."

Friday, a Scott spokeswoman insisted the governor's position has not changed.

"The key phrase in the statement you are referring to," she said, "is 'right now.' "

Business interests, especially those in agriculture, have generally fought making E-Verify mandatory, claiming it would add a layer of bureaucracy to their hiring process. The federal audit found most companies using the system were "generally satisfied" and did not find the program overly burdensome.

Advocates for foreign workers also worry the program makes it harder for people in the country legally to get work.

The National Immigration Law Center said that, despite the government's claims of accuracy, businesses using the system have reported error rates of 15 percent. It said one Arizona company, which runs 24 Burger King franchises, found the system red-flagged up to 75 percent of the workers who were, in fact, in the country legally.

When a worker receives a "tentative nonconfirmation," he or she must then provide additional proof of being entitled to work in the country.

The program was so controversial in Rhode Island that incoming Gov. Lincoln Chafee abolished it early this month — just a day after Scott ordered Florida to adopt it. Chafee said E-Verify, which had been in place for two years, had become a "divisive issue causing unnecessary fear and anxiety in our immigrant community."

"E-Verify," he said, "has not been effective in addressing these very, very complex immigration issues."

Jim Stratton can be reached at jstratton@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5379.

No one database is a silver bullet. What is good is that E Verify has the potential to be merged with other Law Enforcment data bases and if done right could be an effective tool in the war on illegals and other criminals as well. I think we need to use whatever tools we have..field test them and modify as we go along. Give Law Enforcement the free hand to arrest illegals and enforce the law...give them all the tools available to make their job more efficient and effective.

Originally Posted by BillCunnane

No one database is a silver bullet. What is good is that E Verify has the potential to be merged with other Law Enforcment data bases and if done right could be an effective tool in the war on illegals and other criminals as well. I think we need to use whatever tools we have..field test them and modify as we go along. Give Law Enforcement the free hand to arrest illegals and enforce the law...give them all the tools available to make their job more efficient and effective.

First thing they need to do is outlaw sanctuary cities and then police can do their job when it comes to illegals. ICE also needs to pick them up when police come across many of them. I know cases where police had 10 to 12 illegals in flex cuffs waiting for ICE which would not even come to pick them up and the officers had to let them go as they had numerous urgent calls to go on. There have been officers I know that would actually catch one who committed a misdemeanor and would drive them to Border Patrol and they would ask the officers what do you want us to do with them? That all needs to change. Now ICE has a agents in jails that verify immigration status of all those who get arrested and actually put immigration holds on them. That is only a small percentage of illegals.