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How employers who hire undocumented workers are dealing with uptick in ICE audits and raids
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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

Feb 14, 2018
Listen 18:55
How employers who hire undocumented workers are dealing with uptick in ICE audits and raids
Last month, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents raided 7-11 convenience stores across the country.
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 10:  A pedestrian walks past a 7-Eleven store on January 10, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Immigration officials raided nearly 100 7-Eleven stores across the country this morning checking the immigration status of store employees.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
A pedestrian walks past a 7-Eleven store on January 10, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.
(
Scott Olson/Getty Images
)

Last month, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents raided 7-11 convenience stores across the country.

Last month, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents raided 7-11 convenience stores across the country.

Managers were served audit notices and all-in-all, 21 workers were arrested.

The audits and raids sent a shockwave through immigrant communities across the country, including right here in Los Angeles, where one of the 7-11 stores that was raided is located.

We’re asking AirTalk listeners: how are employers talking to undocumented employees about recent ICE raids? How are employees talking to each other and what are those conversations like? If you run or work at a business where undocumented workers have been an integral part of the operation of the business, how are you dealing with the audits and raids? Are you changing hiring practices or vetting employees in a different way? What conversations are you hearing your employees or co-workers have?

Correction: An earlier version of this article identified KIWA as the Korean Immigrant Workers Association instead of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Association. We have made a correction and apologize for the error.

Guests:

José Eduardo Sánchez, director of organizing for Koreatown Immigrant Workers Association (KIWA)

Davis Bae, regional managing partner at the Seattle office of Fisher Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm that represents employers, where he also co-chairs their immigration practice

Credits
Host, AirTalk
Host, All Things Considered, AirTalk Friday
Senior Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Apprentice News Clerk, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek