Introduction

Over the past twenty years the United States’ undocumented immigrant population has both increased and become more geographically widespread. Currently one in nineteen civilian workers in the United States is undocumented. These are more than 8.3 million workers who are concentrated in sectors ranging from construction to food services to janitorial work. A prominent concern about the polarizing political debate is “that undocumented immigrant workers displace U.S. citizens in the workforce and out adverse pressure on native wages and employment” (Schultz, Russell, et al., p. 100). However, contrary to popular belief, immigrants do not take jobs away from American Workers. Instead, immigrants create new jobs by forming new business, spending their incomes on American goods and services, paying taxes, and increasing the productivity of U.S. businesses. Immigrant workers like the average low-wage worker, often lack sufficient knowledge about the laws governing work in America, making them vulnerable against employees that are willing to hire them, but do not inform them about the rights available to them, therefore exploiting them. Language barriers and a lack of culturally appropriate information intensify this barrier. In response, nonprofits have launched campaigns directed at the immigrant workforce in hopes of improving this situation (Gleeson, p. 562).