The AFL-CIO, National Employment Law Project, and American Rights at Work Education Fund released a report Tuesday saying that immigration raids have had a negative effect on workplace protections. The groups said that increases in immigration enforcement efforts under the Bush Administration disrupted the enforcement of workplace protections, and calls on the Obama administration to find a happy medium. The report offers testimony from experts on ?unscrupulous? employees who have left immigrant employees scared to complain about labor conditions. A plant in Postville, Iowa was under investigation for labor law violations when interrupted by immigration raids. A similar situation occurred in five Pilgrim?s Pride plants, which were in the process of union recruiting when raided.
See "Labor groups say tougher immigration enforcement pushed worker protections to back burner", Suzanne Gamboa, Baltimore Sun, October 26, 2009