Governor Vetoes CA Domestic Worker Bill of Rights [SF Chronicle]

CA Governor Also Vetoes CA TRUST Act—“Arizonification” of the State [NY Times]

Undocumented Status Doesn’t Foil Worker’s Claim for Fall from Work [Risk and Insurance]

Deportation Deferrals Put Employers of Immigrants in Bind [NY Times]

Hispanic Workers in North Carolina Hit by Wage Theft Epidemic [Hispanically Speaking]

FILED UNDER: DHS/ICE | Domestic/Homecare Workers | Legislation | Workers’ Compensation

Striking Pizza Workers Say Immigrants Were Fired to Stop a Union [NY Times] 

 Arizona’s Immigrants and Unions Organize Against ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Law [Labornotes]

America’s Irrational Immigration Fear [Washington Post]

Unprotected by Laws, Latin Domestic Female Workers Face Exploitation [Prensa Latina]

Supporters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers Rally at Estero Publix [Ft. Myers News Press]

FILED UNDER: Agricultural Workers | DHS/ICE | DOL | Domestic/Homecare Workers

Wage Theft: A Crime Without Punishment [The Nation]

New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) Releases New Graphic Novel To Help Immigrant Workers Avoid Scams [DNA Info] 

Omni Contract Ratified, Protects Immigrants. A new labor contract for the Omni Hotel in New Haven, CT provides important provisions specifying that the employer will not require employees to reverify their immigration status, and will refrain from use of voluntary work authorization programs such as E-Verify unless required by law. [New Haven Independent]

Restaurant Workers Set Sights on Walmart Wannabe: Darden. Restaurant workers combat discrimination at huge restaurant corporation, including immigrant workers at the back of the house. [Facing South]

Industrial Waste: The Federal Immigration Debate Has Ensnared Some of Louisiana’s Most Iconic Industries—and the Guest Workers They Rely On. [Independent Weekly] 

Four Workers Sue Carwash Owners Over Working Conditions. [LA Times] 

FILED UNDER: DHS/ICE | Guestworkers | Immigrant Workers | Immigration | Wage Theft

From NDLON:

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General issued two reports on the much-maligned “Secure Communities” deportation program. The reports, which come after two years of mounting opposition to Secure Communities from state and local officials, congressional representatives, advocates, and faith groups, were quickly dismissed by advocates as inadequate to address the program’s failings. The reports can be found at: http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2012/OIG_12-64_Mar12.pdf andhttp://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2012/OIG_12-66_Mar12.pdf.

FILED UNDER: DHS/ICE

Several news outlets, including the Washington Post,  the Huffington Post, and the San Jose Mercury News report that ICE’s review of existing deportation cases for prosecutorial discretion will soon cover several additional cities. Following a pilot review that took place in Baltimore and Denver late last year, DHS will conduct reviews in Seattle, Detroit, New Orleans and Orlando from April 23 to May 24. Additional reviews will take place in New York City from May 7 to May 18, San Francisco from June 4 to June 15, and Los Angeles from July 9 to July 20.

On June 17, 2011, ICE Director John Morton released a memo outlining guidelines for exercising prosecutorial discretion in cases where individuals are involved in efforts to protect their civil and labor rights and liberties. NELP has released a detailed fact sheet on requesting prosecutorial discretion on behalf of immigrant workers.

FILED UNDER: DHS/ICE | Immigrant Workers