Will the government deport me for filing workers compensation?

Suffering an injury at work is something that can cause a lot of disruption in your life. Luckily, you have the right to report it to workers’ compensation and receive payments to help you as you seek medical care and recuperate. If you are undocumented in Colorado, you may worry about dealing with workers’ compensation. Could filing a claim end with the government deporting you? The National Employment Law Project explains that you have the right to file for workers’ compensation and that the government will not deport you for doing so. Discrimination or retaliation of any kind for filing a claim is illegal. This protects you from having your employer report you as undocumented. The reason for this protection is to prevent employers from taking advantage of undocumented workers. When you are afraid to make a workers’ compensation claim, it can lead to bad working conditions and employers who do not take safety seriously. Not having this protection can create a dangerous workplace where workers end up in accidents on a regular basis. Furthermore, you have additional protection under federal law that protects you against immigration officials interfering. The law states they cannot get into labor issues, which would cover workers’ compensation. The retaliation protection will protect you from your employer reporting you to immigration when you file a claim as well. You should never be afraid to file a workers’ compensation claim. There are layers of protection in place so that your immigration status does not have any effect on your claim for work injuries. This information is for education and is not legal advice.