Florida Bill Targets Employers Hiring Undocumented Immigrants with Heavy Penalties

A sweeping new immigration proposal in Florida could hit businesses hard if they knowingly employ undocumented workers.

Filed by Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin, the 34-page bill would impose fines, criminal charges, and licensing penalties on companies that hire more than 50 undocumented immigrants or fail to verify worker status. The legislation also includes measures affecting car accidents, state banking, and licensing for non-citizens.

The bill, SB 1380, builds on Florida’s 2025 crackdown on undocumented immigration, which removed in-state tuition for undocumented students, imposed state penalties for illegal entry, and required counties to partner with ICE. Florida has also deputized hundreds of state and local officials to act as immigration officers, with all 67 counties entering into 287(g) agreements.

E-Verify and Employer Penalties
SB 1380 would create civil penalties for businesses that fail to use E-Verify, a federal database checking legal work authorization. Employers who do not verify workers before filing workers’ compensation claims would be liable for any related costs.

Purposely ignoring verification could lead to:

First violation: One-year license suspension and up to $10,000 fine.
Second violation: Five-year suspension and $100,000 fine.
Third violation: Permanent revocation of business license and $250,000 fine.

If an undocumented worker causes injury or death due to employer negligence, the penalties increase, including permanent license revocation and fines up to $500,000. Hiring more than 50 undocumented employees knowingly would be a third-degree felony, with permanent loss of business license.

The provisions mirror a federal investigation into Archer Western, a state contractor whose undocumented workers were involved in a fatal 2022 accident that killed a Pinellas County deputy.

Car Accidents, Banking, and Licensing Restrictions
SB 1380 would presume undocumented out-of-state drivers are at fault in car accidents unless clear evidence shows otherwise. Insurers would be prohibited from paying claims involving unauthorized drivers, and law enforcement must verify immigration status in crash investigations.

The bill also would bar state banks from lending to undocumented immigrants, ban foreign remittances by adults in the state without legal status, and require all licensing tests and procedures to be conducted solely in English, eliminating interpreter accommodations.

The Florida legislative session begins on Jan. 13, 2026.

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