CHICAGO — A new state bill would protect employees from immigration-related threats when speaking out against workers rights’ violations.

The Illinois Work Without Fear Act — House Bill 361 — would fill gaps in Illinois employment law to ensure companies can be punished if they retaliate against workers by calling immigration officials or making other immigration-related threats when the workers report violations, state leaders and policy experts said.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and state Rep. Lilian Jiménez were joined by members of workers rights’ groups Arise Chicago, Raise the Floor Alliance and United Workers Center to announce the bill Monday morning.

The Work Without Fear Act is necessary because state and federal laws don’t specifically protect workers from retaliation based on their immigration status, including threats to report them to government authorities, officials said.

“What this gives us is the power to act when there’s retaliation for reporting workers rights’ violations,” Raoul said. “We previously had power to investigate workers rights’ violations, but if an employer has the ability to retaliate and therefore quiet workers that would be able to bring forth evidence that would allow us to enforce the existing laws, then it’s difficult for us to carry out our responsibility.”

The attorney general said his office has been working on this issue for years, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to protect essential workers.

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