ALRB chair warns federal workplace immigration raids are chilling farmworkers' rights

The Agricultural Labor Relations Board chair opened the June 11 meeting by warning that recent federal immigration enforcement at workplaces across California, including farms in Monterey, Ventura, Fresno and Tulare counties, is intimidating workers and chilling their ability to exercise rights under state labor law.

"The federal government is deliberately sowing chaos, creating fear and disorder so that they can justify deploying troops," the chair said, adding that the actions have "traumatized children, separated families, and targeted hardworking people." The chair said the Newsom administration has invested in worker outreach and immigration-related legal services and that the board's executive team is reviewing policies and procedures to protect both workers and agency staff.

Why it matters: The chair framed the raids as directly relevant to the board's mission because the Agricultural Labor Relations Act establishes a civil process for resolving workplace disputes and protects the right of agricultural workers to organize and engage in concerted activity regardless of immigration status. The chair said California labor laws "protect every worker in the state regardless of their immigration status" and that the agency aims to "ensure workers can exercise their rights under that act."

Board actions and next steps: The chair said the ALRB's immigration subcommittee is actively preparing updates and guidance and that the agency will share information when appropriate. No formal board action or vote on new policy occurred at the June 11 meeting; the remarks were delivered as a chair's report.

Context and background: The chair described immigration enforcement at nonfarm workplaces (including parts of Los Angeles and retail sites) and recent activity on farms in the named counties, and said such enforcement has historically been used to intimidate farmworkers. The chair credited state-level outreach and legal-service investments by Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration as part of the response but did not announce a timetable or specific new regulations from the ALRB.

Meeting context: The discussion occurred during the publicly noticed board meeting and preceded routine reports from the executive secretary and chief counsel. No members of the public registered to speak during the public comment portion, and the board recessed into a closed session at about 10:12 a.m.; it returned to open session at 12:35 p.m. and announced future meeting dates.

Ending: The chair said the board will keep staff and the public updated and that the immigration subcommittee will circulate guidance when ready.