Committee considers bill to bar employers from threatening or using federal immigration authority against workers

Senate Bill 1119, amended as a dash‑3 during committee review, would define ‘‘federal immigration authority’’ and ‘‘unfair immigration‑related practices’’ and make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to engage in those practices. The dash‑3 amendment also directs the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to impose civil penalties on employers who violate notice requirements about upcoming federal inspections that compel access to employment eligibility records.

Supporters, including the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, Oregon Education Association, Oregon Farmworker Union, the Oregon AFL‑CIO and several union and immigrant‑worker advocates, testified that immigrant workers face retaliation and threats of ICE involvement when asserting rights such as unpaid‑wage complaints, safety complaints or union organizing. Kate Sussman of the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project said workers confronted with retaliation should not be singled out because of immigration status; she supported the bill while noting a private right of action was not included in the text.

Ira Collier Martinez of the Oregon Farmworker Union said immigrant workers make up a significant portion of Oregon’s workforce and pay billions in taxes; he said the bill clarifies that employers may not threaten or contact immigration authorities to coerce or retaliate against employees.

Opponents, including the Oregon Farm Bureau and Oregon Business and Industry, urged caution. Jenny Dressler said federal law already prohibits knowingly hiring unauthorized workers and that the agricultural sector routinely must verify documents at hiring; she worried the bill could impose legal risk when employers must act on reliable information about a worker’s authorization to work. Paloma Sparks of Oregon Business and Industry said employers almost never make threats or report workers intentionally and raised concerns about how penalties would apply when a coworker threatens to call ICE or when employers must comply with federal law.

Supporters said the bill narrowly targets employer coercion and retaliation and would not disrupt employers acting in good faith to comply with federal law. The committee closed the hearing; members carried the work session and public hearing over to April 3 for further consideration.