Non-citizen workers in the United States are getting an assist from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in asserting their legal rights in the workplace, the agency announced recently.
Foreign employees who have had their labor rights violated, or know of employees who have, can now access a simplified process for requesting deferred action, DHS announced Jan. 13. Deferred action safeguards non-citizen workers from "threats of immigration-related retaliation from the exploitive employers," the agency states.
"Workers are often afraid to report violations of law by exploitative employers or to cooperate in employment and labor standards investigations because they fear removal or other immigration-related retaliation by an abusive employer," DHS states in the announcement. "Agencies tasked with enforcing labor and employment laws depend on the cooperation of these workers in their investigations."
Not reporting labor violations to regulatory authorities allows unethical employers to continue committing "unlawful and inhumane acts," the DHS states, such as not paying workers, subjecting workers to unsafe working conditions and impeding workers' ability to organize for collective bargaining. The agency's updated filing process expedites its practice of considering deferred action requests on a case-by-case basis, according to the announcement. More efficiently processing requests for worker protection allows authorities to thoroughly investigate alleged violations, the agency states.
DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said the agency encourages all workers to exercise their legal right to report labor violations and cooperate in investigations.
“Unscrupulous employers who prey on the vulnerability of non-citizen workers harm all workers and disadvantage businesses who play by the rules,” DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said in the announcement.
“Through these efforts, and with our labor agency partners, we will effectively protect the American labor market, the conditions of the American worksite, and the dignity of the workers who power our economy,” Mayorkas said.
