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ARTICLE · 03 NOVEMBER 2021

DHS Ends Mass Worksite Enforcement Operations, Issues Policy Guidance

Klasko Immigration Law Partners
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DHS said that in addition to a lack of focus on exploitative employers, such operations misallocate resources and are inconsistent with DHS's new guidelines requiring individualized assessments.

United StatesImmigration
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memorandum on October 12, 2021, updating its policies on worksite enforcement to focus on "unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability of undocumented workers" and "create an unfair labor market." The guidance memo states that DHS "no longer conduct[s] mass worksite operations," sometimes called raids, that can result in the simultaneous arrests of hundreds of workers. DHS said that in addition to a lack of focus on exploitative employers, such operations misallocate resources and are inconsistent with DHS's new guidelines requiring individualized assessments.

The guidance memo, among other things, directs DHS agencies to propose recommendations for protecting noncitizen victims and witnesses who report unlawful labor practices or participate in investigations or prosecutions.

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