Workers and activists rallied outside of City Hall Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the passage of a new federal immigrant-whistleblower rights policy, while vowing to put it into action.

The U.S .Department of Labor (DOL) released new policy on July 6. It provides guidance for workers experiencing a worksite labor dispute on how to seek DOL support for their requests to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration-related prosecutorial discretion. The goal is to allow undocumented workers to speak up about workplace abuses without fear of retaliatory deportation.

“For DOL to effectuate the laws under its jurisdiction, regardless of immigration status, workers must feel free to participate in the Department’s investigations and proceedings without fear of retaliation or immigration-related consequences,” the news release said.

The policy clarifications comes as the result of a Workplace Enforcement Memo released by DHS Secretary Mayorkas in October that directed DHS agencies to increase worker protections particularly for whistleblowers and undocumented laborers.

Local groups that have advocated for these changes — Unidad Latina CT, Red de Pueblos Transnacionales, Culturas del Pasado, Voces del Presente, Soame Citlalime, Las Chapinas, and Latinos Unidos — were present at Wednesday’s rally.

While the policy updates are an important victory, there is still much work to be done, John Lugo, organizer with Unidad Latina en Acción, told the crowd.

Lugo told the...

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