Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and two Democratic lawmakers are pushing new protections for immigrant workers.
Brown partnered with Washington state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña and Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self to propose the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, or SB 5852 and HB 2105, which were both prefiled on Monday.
“This bill would mean that workers get the same information as their employers when federal officials request an audit of their employment eligibility information,” Brown said during a press conference on Friday.
The proposed legislation would require employers to notify employees when the federal government has requested their employment eligibility information.
It would also remind employers that they are not required to provide federal immigration officials with access to their non-public business premises, unless agents have a warrant. It also seeks to ensure that employers comply with the state law and share employees’ personal data only when they have a subpoena or judicial warrant.
Sen. Saldaña said the bill will clarify workers' rights and employers' responsibilities. She says both might be concerned about immigration enforcement operations.
“All we're doing here is saying that if there is an I-9 audit, not just the employers have noticed, but that the workers deserve to have notice too,” Saldaña said. “This is simple legislation to make sure that we're keeping Washington working.”
During the press conference, small business owners showed their support for the bill proposal.
Ana Castro owns The Salvadorean Bakery and Restaurant in White Center. She said that as a business owner, she wants her employees to feel safe coming to work.
Jessica Lopez, a grocery store owner in White Center, said the proposed bill would give her clear steps to protect her employees' and her business’s privacy.
Rep.Ortiz-Self said that immigrants in Washington also contribute considerably to the economy.
“Washington is a state that believes in fairness, inclusion and keeping families whole,” Ortiz-Self said. “This legislation puts those values into action. Immigrants are foundational to who we are.”
According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants in the U.S. paid over $651 billion in taxes in 2023. The report noted undocumented immigrant households spent $89.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes and held $299 billion in spending power that year.
The new proposal would be an addition to other state legislation that already protects the rights of immigrant workers. These include the Keep Washington Working Act, which limits local and state law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
