Floridians support E-Verify even after being told the state could face potential economic and food losses, according to a recent study by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education.
PIE Center researchers asked 503 Florida residents about their attitudes, perceptions of and knowledge about undocumented immigration at both the state and national levels as part of a series of public opinion surveys.
E-Verify is an Internet-based employment verification system that compares information from a person’s employment paperwork to Homeland Security and Social Security records. Florida requires state government employers and contractors to use E-Verify but use in private businesses is voluntary.
In the survey, Floridians showed little knowledge of the E-Verify system, with only 28 percent indicating they knew what E-Verify was and 13 percent believing that Florida had implemented the program in some form.
Floridians did not support E-Verify if it impacted their wallet, with only 28 percent willing to support E-Verify if unemployment in Florida increased and only 27 percent agreeing to back E-Verify in the face of tax increases.
Researchers asked respondents to read a paragraph that implied what the economic ramifications associated with the implementation of the system could be if E-Verify was required in Florida. After reading about the projected losses, 68 percent of Floridians continued to believe that E-Verify should be required by the state of Florida, according to PIE Center Associate Director Alexa Lamm.
“Even though it might impact food availability and the state’s economy, the majority of the public still supports the system,” she said. “The majority of Florida residents believe that immigrants should come and work legally, and that’s why we are seeing the results we are.”
Lamm, also an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, sees opportunities for education surrounding immigration.
“There is a lot of opportunity for different industries, especially agriculture and natural resources, to educate the public on the E-Verify system and the potential impacts so that residents can make informed decisions when choosing how to vote about immigration reform,” Lamm said.
