TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Legislation to require Florida's employers to screen the immigration status of workers using the federal E-Verify database remains stalled, with the state's business lobby mounting potent opposition to one of Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature campaign trail promises.

• Legislation to require screening of worker immigration status stalled
• Gov. Ron DeSantis says passing measure will be an uphill battle
• Some leaders say E-Verify mandate could decimate the labor pool 

With the midpoint of the annual legislative session just a week away, the governor acknowledged to reporters this week that getting the legislation across the finish line will be an uphill battle.

"I have four years. I'd like to do it this session, but if we don't, we'll have an opportunity," he said.

Approximately one million undocumented immigrants live in Florida, with many holding jobs in the state's expansive agriculture and tourism industries.

The work they perform commonly entails manual labor that some business leaders say U.S. citizens are loathe to do. An E-Verify mandate, they argue, could decimate the labor pool many companies depend on.

The governor, however, begs to differ.

"I'm somebody that supports having a wall, having the border security, I think that's important," he said. "But really, the employment is what drives a lot of folks, and I think the more you have people who are working illegally, they tend to gravitate to low-wage jobs, and that depresses wages for our blue collar workers."

But the legislature's Republican leaders do see eye-to-eye with DeSantis on the need to penalize so-called “sanctuary cities” that don't assist federal immigration authorities in arresting and detaining known undocumented immigrants. That proposal looks poised for passage in the House and Senate.