Immigration-Control Group Turns Up Heat on Haridopolos, Flores Over E-Verify

Expressing "serious concerns" about Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Anitere Flores' handling of proposed E-Verify legislation, a Florida immigration group promises that "all hell will break loose" if the bill's original language isn't reinstated on Monday.

In a letter to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Floridians for Immigration Enforcement said Flores' "past comments that states should not enact illegal immigration legislation and her affiliation with a group that labeled previous illegal immigration bills as 'draconian' is troublesome."

Jack Oliver, legislative chairman for FLIMEN, specifically criticized Flores' efforts to substitute a driver's license requirement for the E-Verify screening program.

"The drivers license alternative isnt an effort to improve employment verification, as Senator Flores claims, its a plan designed to ensure that the illicit hiring of unauthorized workers can continue as usual."

Oliver called Flores' watered-down E-Verify language in Senate Bill 2040 "grossly deficient, judicially indefensible and unacceptable."

Warning Haridopolos, FLIMEN said, "If you fail to take control and reverse Senator Flores' efforts to kill mandatory E-Verify,the estimated $5.5 billion negative fiscal impact to taxpayers will grow."

Haridopolos, who has said that the final wording was still in the works, was not immediately available for comment.

The Judiciary Committee meets at 3:15 p.m. Monday.