They Got Hurt At Work — Then They Got Deported
In Florida, unauthorized workers who have been injured while working are being deported. Nearly all 50 states, Florida included, have given unauthorized immigrants the right to receive workers’ compensation, as they are more likely to be hurt or killed while working than other workers. But Florida also added an addendum in 2003 making it illegal to get a job or file for workers compensation using false identification, meaning workers can be charged for fraud even if they file legitimate claims, or do not file a claim at all. When these workers are injured, their insurers often report them into the state to avoid having to pay for medical treatment or lost wages. State officials have claimed that fraud investigations have nothing to do with immigration, but the joint review between NPR and ProPublica found that more than 99% of workers arrested were Hispanic immigrants working without authorization. Although this is not yet a widespread problem in the US outside of Florida, some worry that it could become common practice under President Trump’s harsh immigration policies.
See "They Got Hurt At Work — Then They Got Deported", Michael Grabell, Howard Berkes, NPR, August 18, 2017