Florida’s E-Verify Push, Explained

In 2021 Florida became the 22nd state to mandate employers use E-Verify, the federal system for checking the immigration status of potential workers.

The mandate applies only to state employers and contractors, but now Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—ostensibly preparing for a presidential bid—wants to expand E-Verify mandates to include the private sector as well, part of a larger immigration package he announced at a news conference last month. 

“Florida is a law and order state, and we won’t turn a blind eye to the dangers of Biden’s Border Crisis,” DeSantis said in a February statement.

But DeSantis and the Republican supermajority in Florida’s legislature faces opposition from a group that historically has often found common ground with the GOP—the business community.