AG Weiser issued an alert to remind employees of their rights and Colorado employers of their responsibilities under the law when it comes to reporting wage theft and retaliation against such reports. The alert comes after informal reports to the attorney general’s office of employers making illegal deportation threats to immigrant workers who report wage theft. Under Colorado law, it is illegal to make threats of reporting or to report a worker to any local, state, or federal law enforcement organization, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, in retaliation for a worker asserting their legal rights.

“I want Colorado employers to know that it is illegal to threaten to call ICE, or any law enforcement organization, in response to a worker asserting their rights under the Colorado Wage Act. I encourage any worker, regardless of their immigration status, who experiences retaliation after reporting wage theft, to file a retaliation claim with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and to file a complaint with me at StopFraudColorado.gov. I will not hesitate to use my authority under the law to hold accountable employers who illegally use fear and intimidation to prevent workers from exercising their legal rights.” – AG Weiser