DOJ Sues Illinois Over Workplace Privacy Law Affecting Immigration Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Illinois, alleging the state's amendments to its Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act interfere with federal immigration enforcement. The DOJ argues that the law complicates and discourages employers' use of federal employment eligibility verification systems like E-Verify and imposes additional notification requirements that could enable undocumented workers to evade detection. Federal officials claim these provisions violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by obstructing federal authority and contradicting laws intended to prevent the hiring of unauthorized workers. Illinois' amendments, enacted in January, require employers to notify employees ahead of I-9 form inspections and impose penalties for noncompliance, which the DOJ asserts could lead undocumented workers to avoid work during inspections. The lawsuit is part of a broader federal push to challenge state and local immigration policies perceived as impeding federal enforcement. Illinois officials have defended the law as protecting worker privacy, while the DOJ maintains it undermines federal immigration objectives.