A new state law will help immigrant workers know when the records proving they can legally work in the U.S. are about to come under federal review.
The Immigrant Worker Protection Act requires employers to give their employees a heads-up when a federal agency announces an upcoming inspection of the business’ I-9 forms on file. Employers use the I-9 and related documents to verify employees’ identity and work authorization.
The notice gives workers time to straighten out paperwork, consult an advocate or attorney, talk with their families about possible outcomes — such as detainment or deportation — and otherwise plan ahead for problems.
A provision that has made leaders in Washington agricultural uneasy: Employers that don’t comply could face legal action, either from the state attorney general or from impacted workers.
By law, federal officials — for example, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Department of Labor — must give an establishment notice before an I-9 inspection.
The act compels employers who have received this notice to inform workers of the planned inspection within five business days.
“It’s just about everybody being on the same page,” said Mark Bowers, staff attorney at Columbia Legal Services, an organization that represents marginalized communities.
Employers must distribute the notice among workers and post it where the workers can be expected to see it. Information must be written in both English and in the state’s five most common...
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