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Undocumented immigrants to receive extended protections in labor investigations
The federal government agreed to the extension after Campbell's office spearheaded a coalition of 27 state and local labor enforcement agencies.
Attorney general Andrea J Campbell. / Facebook/Andrea J Campbell
The United States Department of Homeland Security announced that undocumented immigrants collaborating with government agencies to investigate labor abuses will now have up to four years of protection from deportation.
This doubles the number of years which was present before. The extension was confirmed by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who played a pivotal role in advocating for the change.
The federal government agreed to the extension after Campbell's office spearheaded a coalition of 27 state and local labor enforcement agencies to send a letter in early July, urging the DHS to extend the time frame. The decision is effective immediately and has been posted online.
"This is a victory for vulnerable workers who will feel more secure in asserting their rights in the face of unjust workplace violations," Campbell said. "All workers, regardless of their immigration status, deserve protection from workplace violations and exploitation. I applaud the Department of Homeland Security for swiftly responding to our call to action and extending the period of deferred action protection."
Background and Impact
The challenge of holding employers accountable for labor violations is compounded when undocumented workers are involved, as they often fear deportation. The Massachusetts Attorney General's office previously secured a conviction against a New Bedford man for labor trafficking, the first known case under the state's 2012 human trafficking law.
The extended protection period aims to ensure that immigrant workers can participate in investigations without the threat of deportation. The Deferred Action program, introduced by the DHS last year, offers noncitizen victims or witnesses of labor rights violations a chance to apply for protection.
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