Immigrant laborers have a new tool at their disposal to blunt the threat of detention or deportation when they come forward to denounce abusive employers.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a policy that allows immigrant workers facing exploitation or abuse at work to ask the Department to intercede on their behalf with immigration authorities. That intervention – in the form of a “statement” of support – could help workers avoid prosecution for working or living in the U.S. illegally.
In a document posted on Wednesday, the Department explained that undocumented immigrant workers are “often reluctant to report violations, engage with government enforcement agencies, or otherwise exercise their rights,” for fear that doing so could put them in trouble. By giving them a mechanism to seek “prosecutorial discretion” from immigration authorities, the government hopes more workers will participate in investigations and help it hold unscrupulous employers accountable.
Whether workers are able to benefit from prosecutorial discretion or not remains entirely in the hands of immigration authorities in the Department of Homeland Security.
In a press conference held Thursday, immigrant advocates said that the new policy could make a difference in a place like Gainesville, Georgia, where a sizable undocumented workforce helps power the local, nation-leading poultry industry.
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