The Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act would provide critical labor protections for immigrants across the country by providing vital safeguards against retaliation by employers.
All too often, immigrant workers face threats of having ICE called on them when they try to assert their labor or civil rights or attempt to organize for better working conditions. This retaliation undercuts workers’ abilities to have their rights enforced and leads to more dangerous workplaces and lower wages for every worker. The POWER Act would help ensure the enforcement of federal immigration policies does not undermine workers’ fundamental job-related rights.
Are you looking for an immigration attorney? Attorney Eric Price is one of the nation’s top-rated immigration attorneys. He fights tirelessly for his immigration clients to help them be part of the American Dream. Contact Attorney Price today, and let’s get starting building your case.
What Protections Do Immigrants Currently Have?
Undocumented workers in the U.S. have employment rights, even though they are not legal citizens. Federal law prohibits discrimination against any worker, regardless of their immigration status.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) outlaws discrimination based on citizenship status.
Under the Obama administration, the U-Visa program was expanded to cover certain workplace crimes. U-visa holders are granted work permits and legal status, and after a number of years, they can apply for a green card and become citizens.
What Is The POWER Act?
The POWER Act will protect workers from any violations of federal, state, and local labor laws and protect workers who are victims of workplace retaliation from being deported in order to allow labor agencies to conduct the proper interviews and gather evidence.
The Power Act has three main provisions:
- U-visas for retaliation victims:The POWER Act aims to expand eligibility for U-visas to certain workers who have been involved in a workplace claim who reasonably fear or have been threatened with force, serious harm, physical restraint, and other abuses.
- Stay of removal and employment authorization: Workers who have filed or who are material witnesses in workplace claims may receive a stay of removal and employment authorization until the workplace claim gets resolved. This allows labor law enforcement agencies like the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to impose harsher penalties on employers who break labor laws.
- Strengthened investigative policies: In certain cases, DHS would be required to ensure that workers detained as part of worksite immigration enforcement are not removed from the U.S. until they can be interviewed by an agency investigating labor violations allegations.
Who Will be Affected?
All non-citizen immigrant workers in the United States would be affected by the POWER Act. These workers would now have the ability to vindicate their labor rights and ensure they are not deported without the chance to speak with labor agencies. The POWER Act would allow labor agencies to effectively serve their migrant workers by ensuring the investigators and attorneys at labor agencies can interview the workers themselves who are victims of labor violations.
What Are The Next Steps?
If you believe the enactment of the POWER Act or any other recent immigration policy changes under the new administration will affect you or your loved ones, you should contact a licensed immigration attorney.
Contact Attorney Eric Price Today!
Attorney Eric Price is the top-rated immigration attorney in Los Angeles. He has handled countless immigration cases while practicing immigration law. Unlike most “immigration attorneys,” Price only practices immigration law— allowing him to become a true immigration expert. Contact Eric Price today for a free consultation.
