Immigration Executive Action
What does it mean for workers?
Key questions:
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How did we get here?
What’s in the Executive Action?
What does it mean for workers?
What is labor’s role moving forward?
What can you do to help?
AFL-CIO has been calling for executive
action on immigration since Spring 2013
8 million of the 11 million
undocumented individuals in
the U.S. are currently working
without full rights or
protections.
Did you know?
Undocumented workers face the highest
rates of wage theft, sexual harassment,
injury and death on the job.
Stopping exploitation will protect wages and
working conditions for ALL workers.
How was Executive Action won?
Power
Building
Organizing
Grassroots
Mobilization
Deferred Action for Parental Accountability
(DAPA)
Who qualifies?
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Parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents
In country since Jan. 1, 2010
Pass background check
Pay $465 in application fees
~4.1 million people qualify
Expanded Deferred Action for Child Arrivals
(DACA)
Who qualifies?
 Under age of 16 at time of arrival to U.S.
 Meet education or training requirement
 In country since Jan. 1, 2010
 Pass background check
 Pay $465 in application fees
~270,000 more youth eligible after age cap lifted
What Deferred Action IS:
Work authorization, renewable after 3
years
Protection from deportation, renewable after
3 years
Social Security Number, which allows:
• state issued IDs/driver licenses
• limited ability to travel
• correctly attributed tax payments
What Deferred Action is NOT:
Roadmap to citizenship or green card
Access to public benefits, like healthcare
Extendable to family members
What Deferred Action means:
WITHOUT
FEAR
Worker protections within Deferred Action:
(1) No employment requirements
(2) Protections against firings
(3) Employer cooperation
Enforcement-related reforms:
• Eliminated the Secure Communities (SCOMM) program
that compels local law enforcement authorities to cooperate
with federal immigration enforcement
• Replaced SCOMM with a new Priority Enforcement
Program (PEP)
Still need to win:
• Deferred action for individuals who exercise workplace rights
• Protections for the 7 million who do not qualify for DAPA or
DACA
• Due process protections
• Stop unwarranted criminalization of immigrants
• End family detention
Protecting high skilled workers:
• DHS will announce new rules that will expand access to highskilled workers with limited rights--regardless of actual labor
market needs--and allow corporate employers to continue to
suppress wages.
We will need your help to fight these harmful changes and
ensure that all current and future workers are protected.
New Taskforces to Watch:
The administration announced new efforts to:
• Enhance immigrant worker protections
• “Modernize” visa programs
• Promote citizenship and integration
Workers must play an active role!
What will labor do?
• Defend this action
• Advocate for worker protections in new rules
• Push for REAL commonsense immigration reform:
• Roadmap to citizenship
• No expansion of models that exploit
• Build worker power through implementation and
organizing
Help workers adjust status:
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Open our union halls and community spaces
Train activists and members on Deferred Action
Integrate with efforts to promote citizenship
Work with immigrant and community partners
Connect to the broader struggle for worker rights
and economic justice
What you can say to friends and family:
• “Allowing millions of workers to be exploited in our
country is wrong – and it lowers the standards for all
workers.”
• “Past presidents of both parties have used their
authority to protect immigrants. Obama is right to do
the same.”
• “Executive action on immigration supports things I
believe in, like the dignity of all work, equal rights and
respect for one another, regardless of difference.”
The fight continues!
Text RELIEF
to 235246
for updates
and actions