Haridopolos Hangs With Migrants; Senate Set to Cave on Immigration?

The ad-hoc meetings between Florida Senate leaders and immigrants continued Tuesday, and the surreal sessions aren't playing well with border-control groups.

Noting reports that some 50 people packed the office of Senate President Mike Haridopolos Tuesday morning to ask him to halt proposed bills cracking down on illegal immigration, conservative activist George Fuller commented: "WTF," and offered a bit of advice to law-abiding citizens.

"Lobbyists, listen up. If you want access to the highest levels of Florida's government, don't waste time trying to get in and see leadership by making an appointment. Simply show up and announce you are an illegal alien and don't want to be deported and you don't want any laws passed that would protect citizens against illegal aliens because that would be racial profiling," Fuller said, with tongue only partially in cheek.

Haridopolos' warm and fuzzy encounter, like the prayerful meeting between migrants and Budget Committee Chairman J.D. Alexander on Monday, fueled speculation that the Senate is ready to kill SB 2040, a heavily amended measure that seeks to tighten screening of new employees via the federal E-Verify database or Real-ID-compliant driver's licenses.

As of late Tuesday, only one senator, Joe Negron, R-Stuart, responded to Sunshine State News' survey on SB 2040. Negron said he would vote for the bill.