No Borders NewsWashington’s Attorney General (AGO) has published guidance and workplace materials to help employers follow the state Immigrant Worker Protection Act as it moves into full effect on Oct. 1.
The law focuses on what employers must do when federal immigration agents issue a notice related to employment eligibility document checks, commonly called I-9 forms. Under the act, employers must inform affected workers within five business days after receiving the federal notice.
The AGO says it pushed for the law earlier this year and is now providing tools for businesses to meet the new requirements. The materials include a mandatory workplace poster and model notice forms, along with guidance for employers about their rights and responsibilities when immigration officials come to a workplace or request worker records.
The AGO also released these documents in multiple languages, including English, Mandarin (Simplified Chinese), Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. The goal, according to the AGO, is to ensure immigrant workers in Washington receive the same information about these inspections that employers receive.
If someone believes an employer may be violating the act, the AGO says concerns can be reported by email to IWPA@atg.wa.gov. More information is available on the AGO’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act page.