WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A new state law is seeking to offer more protections for immigrant workers.

Washington’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act took effect on Oct. 1, which set requirements for employers when federal agents conduct an I-9 inspection.

Employers and new workers have to fill out I-9 forms to prove the worker’s identity and that they’re allowed to work in the United States.

The new law requires employers to directly notify their workers within five days of a federal agency notifying them of an inspection. Additionally, employers will need to post a notice of the inspection in an area where all workers can see it.

The act also calls for employers to notify any affected workers and their union, if any, within five days if federal agents found any errors in their work authorization forms or identified the worker as lacking proper authorization.

Employers will be required to explain the time period for correcting the error – if necessary – and offer to meet with workers and their union representatives.

“Immigrant workers help power Washington’s economy, yet too often they are the last to know when federal authorities review employment records,” state Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “This legislation reflects our state’s commitment to fairness and transparency by ensuring they are informed and have the opportunity to review their documents, correct mistakes, and protect their jobs and their families.”

The new law takes effect as ICE made 60 arrests in Whatcom County between June and early August, according to the Deportation Data Project.

That included a significant spike with 36 arrests in June, reflecting the most the county has seen in a single month since the group began tracking data in 2022. Mayor Kim Lund spoke to federal action locally in a community forum on Tuesday, Oct. 6.