Asian-American Groups help pave the way in the push for workplace education for illegal immigrants

Elan Zohar

Korea Times Student Intern Reporter

Brentwood School Senior

Illegal immigration enforcement has become a top priority in President Donald Trump‘s administration, and his policies have been effective. For his supporters, it is a step in the right direction, and for his opponents, especially those in the United States illegally, there has been a growing sense of fear. The emerging prevalence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who are federal agents ordered to catch illegal immigrants, has caused groups such as the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) to work to inform employers and employees illegally in the country about their safety if they encounter an ICE agent. These two organizations, along with local Los Angeles immigrant and worker rights groups, launched a campaign to educate the public about the possible dangers in the workplace for illegal immigrants.

A guide titled, “What to do If Immigration Comes to Your Workplace” is the centerpiece of this push for education among employers. In the guide, employers are given a detailed rundown on how to prepare for ICE agents, behave around agents, and how to handle the situation following an ICE raid. Additionally, it provides definitions of key immigration terms, such as I-9 audits and judicial warrants, and includes training for employees who may be at risk of arrest. The guide is available in five languages - Chinese, Korean, Thai, Spanish, and English.

NELP and NILC, along with some Los Angeles Asian worker and immigration groups, have arranged free seminars for employers that offer tips on how to protect employees in case of an ICE raid. These seminars will be presented in four different languages - Korean, Thai, Mandarin, and Vietnamese - in different dates and locations around Los Angeles. For more information about these seminars, call Asian Americans Advancing Justice at 213-977-7500 or visit their website, advancingjustice-la.org.



<Elan Zohar>