In a memo to Tae D. Johnson, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Troy A. Miller, Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas outlined a new workforce enforcement strategy.
The memo asks CBP, ICE, and USCIS to take actions to promote a fair labor market by supporting more effective enforcement of wage protections, workplace safety, labor rights, and other employment laws and standards. The memo also establishes an end to mass worksite enforcement operations.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a critical role to ensure our Nation’s workplaces comply with our laws,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “We will not tolerate unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers, conduct illegal activities, or impose unsafe working conditions. Employers engaged in illegal acts compel the focus of our enforcement resources. By adopting policies that focus on the most unscrupulous employers, we will protect workers as well as legitimate American businesses.”
CBP, ICE, and USCIS will develop and update policies to enhance the Department’s impact in supporting the enforcement of employment and labor standards. The agencies must also develop strategies for prioritizing workplace enforcement against unscrupulous employers and, through the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, facilitate the participation of vulnerable workers in labor standards investigations.