Catherwood LibraryILR School

While many view unions as enemies of undocumented laborers, with the surge in deportation and anti-immigrant sentiment which President Trump and his administration have helped to cultivate, unions are increasingly becoming pivotal advocates for undocumented union members. Many unions are winning employers’ support of their efforts to help undocumented workers, getting management to notify shop stewards of ICE agent visits to workplaces and convincing employers to prevent immigration official visits without warrants. In addition, more and more unions are holding workshops to provide legal advice and counsel to undocumented workers and disseminating instructional materials regarding the rights of these laborers. Leaders within Unite Here, the AFL-CIO, and SEIU (among others) are stepping up to support some of the most overlooked members of organized labor around the country as the danger of deportation grows more threatening than ever.