Scared into Silence: How Employers Use ICE Threats to Avoid Accountability

There is a quiet crisis happening in workplaces across California. Injured workers are being silenced. Undocumented employees are being threatened. And in some cases, employers are using immigration enforcement as a weapon to avoid accountability.

At Guerra & Casillas LLP, we focus on workers’ compensation and employment law. We represent people who have been hurt on the job or treated unfairly at work. But more and more, we are hearing from clients who were not just mistreated. They were threatened with deportation for standing up for their rights.

This is not just wrong. It is illegal.

🚨 The Scariest Form of Retaliation

Imagine this. You report a workplace injury. Suddenly your boss starts asking about your immigration status. You file a claim for unpaid wages. Next week, ICE shows up at your jobsite.

These are not isolated stories. We have seen cases where employers use the fear of ICE to punish workers who speak up. Some even call immigration authorities themselves after a worker complains. Others spread rumors to create a chilling effect.

This is not enforcement. This is intimidation.

🛑 California Law Protects All Workers

In California, your immigration status does not cancel your rights. You still have the right to be paid fairly. You have the right to report unsafe conditions. You have the right to receive medical care and compensation if you are injured on the job.

The law is clear. Employers are not allowed to retaliate against workers by reporting or threatening to report their immigration status. California Labor Code Section 1019 makes that kind of behavior illegal.

You should not have to choose between your health and your safety. You should not have to choose between your paycheck and your freedom.

👀 What We Are Seeing

At Guerra & Casillas LLP, we have worked with clients who were too afraid to seek help. They suffered serious injuries but said nothing because they feared being deported. They endured wage theft because their employers hinted at ICE involvement if they complained.

We want workers to know this. You are not alone. And you do not have to stay silent.

⚖️ How We Help

We are not immigration lawyers. But we are here to fight for injured and mistreated workers across California. If you have been threatened, harassed, or punished for asserting your rights at work, we want to talk to you.

We will listen. We will guide you. And we will stand beside you every step of the way.

You do not need to be a citizen to deserve justice.

📞 Contact Guerra & Casillas LLP today for a confidential consultation. Your rights matter. Your safety matters. And we are ready to help.