Workers' Compensation Board Will Partner with State, Federal Authorities to Gain Temporary Protection for Workers Exercising Their Right to File Workers' Compensation Claims

Through an interagency partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Board will now work with noncitizen workers (including undocumented workers) and their advocates to gain temporary protection from prosecution and potential deportation, as well as the ability to work legally in the U.S., if the worker is party to a workers' compensation claim. This action will protect noncitizen workers from unscrupulous employers who threaten them with removal or other forms of retaliation for cooperating with a Board investigation or exercising their right to file a workers' compensation claim for a work-related injury or illness.

"The Board is committed to protecting all workers in New York State, including low-wage and immigrant workers who are among the most at-risk of being victimized by employer violations of the Workers' Compensation Law," said Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez. "In meeting that commitment, we must guard against the use of immigration status as a tool for retaliation against workers asserting their legal rights." Read more here.