The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced new streamlined processes for noncitizen workers who are victims of, or witnesses to, the violation of labor rights, to access an expedited deferred action request process. Deferred action protects noncitizen workers from threats of immigration-related retaliation from abusive employers.

Workers will be able to access DHS’s website here for additional information on the streamlined process in English and Spanish and to submit requests for deferred action. SWACCA has been working in partnership with their union allies to establish processes to protect vulnerable immigrant workers from retaliation for reports of labor rights violations, particularly when it comes to employee misclassification. This new process advances their efforts dating back to October 2021, when they worked to get DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to issue a memo instructing federal immigration agencies to commit to working with federal labor agencies to prevent deportation of workers alleging labor violations.