Resources
for organizations & employers
Learn how to prepare yourself and your employees for immigration enforcement activity at the workplace.
Resources for Illinois organizations and employers across all sectors.
Immigration Enforcement Actions
The federal government primarily uses three immigration enforcement mechanisms related to the workplace:
Social Service Administration No-Match Letters
Form I-9 audits
I.C.E. enforcement action in the workplace
See the American Business Immigration Coalitions' (ABIC) Employer Resource to learn more about each enforcement mechanism and strategies to prepare:
The Resurrection Project hosts Know Your Rights trainings, both in-person and virtually, to ensure that communities are well-equipped to protect themselves during interactions with immigration authorities or federal law enforcement. Request a training for your organization to get prepared:
Creating a Prepared Workplace
Creating a clear plan for immigration enforcement activity at the workplace can help ensure that employees feel prepared to respond.
Preparation may also include, but is not limited to:
Distributing a written safety protocol and administering trainings for staff,
Clearly designating private areas with signage,
Designating and training specific personnel to serve as points of contact that can review warrants, contact legal counsel, and communicate with law enforcement officers.
For employers looking to establish a plan, the Chicago Community Workers’ Rights (CCWR) has created a template for a workplace protocol in case of immigration enforcement action:
Helpful Handouts:
For employers looking to pass along helpful information to their employees, the handouts below are helpful guides to prepare and equip employees with critical information.
Illinois Immigration Information Hub Know Your Rights Toolkit: Flyers that detail important information about people’s rights when interacting with immigration enforcement agents, regardless of immigration status.
TRP Deportation Defense Guide: A one-stop handout for employees and community members to learn about available services in Illinois, including scannable QR codes that direct to the resources you need:
day care centers and schools
The Illinois Department of Early Childhood and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) have released non-regulatory guidance designed to help day care providers understand key steps they can take to prepare and respond appropriately and lawfully if immigration enforcement personnel visit or contact their center.
Download the DCFS Day Care Guide:
Additionally, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released non-regulatory guidance for K-12 schools regarding immigration enforcement on school property:
See the new guide “Model Policies and Protocol for Immigrant-Friendly Healthcare Organizations”, a comprehensive guide drafted in collaboration by the Illinois Alliance for Welcoming Healthcare and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to create more immigrant-friendly healthcare spaces.
healthcare organizations
Legal Support
Organizations should proactively identify an immigration employment attorney or other legal counsel to assist in the event of immigration enforcement action.
For non-profit organizations seeking legal help, click the button below to check out the Nonprofit Legal Resources page, hosted by Forefront in partnership with the Chicago Bar Foundation, for resources and referrals.