DeSantis Backer Voices Concern Over Immigration Policies After Firing Longtime Undocumented Staff Due To $500K Fine

Richard Gonzmart, the owner of a 117-year-old Florida restaurant chain called Family of Restaurants, had to let go of undocumented employees following a $500,000 fine, Business Insider reports.

Talking to The Miami Herald, Gonzmart expressed concerns to about DeSantis’ aggressive stance on immigration despite being a staunch supporter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

In 2021, 19 of Gonzmart’s employees were dismissed after federal immigration officials identified noncompliant work documents at one of his venues.

“We think they’re legal, but when we had to check, we found seven people who have been with me 30 years — paying taxes, had children, grandchildren — and we were required to terminate them,” Gonzmart shared.

He also highlighted a Florida law, endorsed by DeSantis, that mandates businesses with over 25 workers to verify their employees’ work eligibility using E-Verify. This law also criminalizes the transportation of individuals who illegally enter Florida.

Gonzmart said that he’s “very proud” of DeSantis, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, “and everything he’s done.”

“But my concern is the governor putting in a law that says those who have an expired driver’s license cannot renew it because they’re no longer legal,” he added.

“They cannot work. Their papers are no longer legal.”

Photo by Wirestock Creators on Shutterstock

Read Next: Ron DeSantis Wants Disney’s Bob Iger To ‘Drop The Lawsuit’ And Move Forward