As the Trump administration has significantly increased their immigration enforcement efforts, individuals with anti-immigration leanings have become more outspoken about their beliefs. Emboldened by actions and words condoned by the Trump administration, some employers have seized upon the opportunity to take advantage of immigrant workers by not paying them or providing substandard working conditions, and then threatening retaliation against them if they complain. These threats of retaliation often involve reporting the immigrant employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or law enforcement officials in order to deport them. For example, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office received almost 100 complaints concerning immigration-related retaliation threats in 2017, which was a substantial increase over the 20 complaints in 2016 and seven in 2015. It also appears that ICE may be actively helping employers enjoy the advantages of black-market labor, in that they are keeping employees in check by threatening them with deportation. ICE agents also have appeared at two California labor dispute hearings. Other ICE agents have shown up at different locations in Van Nuys and Santa Ana in search of employees who had brought labor claims against their employers. Official assume these cases to be employer-motivated retaliation, simply because the location of labor claim hearings are not public, and only the workers and their employers would know the time, date, and location of the hearings. In today’s climate of fear and anti-immigration sentiment, some unscrupulous employers are seizing this opportunity to threaten their own employees, and in some cases, following through on their threats. We are the California deportation defense lawyers to whom you can turn if you or a loved one are facing deportation proceedings, no matter whether you are facing criminal charges, you have a criminal conviction, or you simply have no legal status. Regardless of the complexity or difficulty of the situation, Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C.has the experience, knowledge, and skills to advocate on behalf of you and your family throughout the course of any deportation proceedings. Contact our office today and let us answer all of your questions about any aspect of deportation proceedings.
