The efforts of students in Seattle University School of Law’s Workers’ Rights Clinic, under the leadership of Professor Elizabeth Ford, are once again paying dividends, with a bill they helped to draft — to prevent employer coercion of workers based on immigration status — clearing a major hurdle in the Washington State Legislature. This comes after notching a victory two years ago, when another bill — to prevent wage theft from workers — was passed into law due in part to their work.
Senate Bill 5104, which passed the Washington State Senate last week, would require the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to investigate coercion reports, such as withholding of wages, and fine employers guilty of immigration-based coercion up to $10,000 per violation. L&I never reports any undocumented workers to immigration authorities.
“Coercion silences people,” said Ford, who directs the clinic. “Coercion works because it creates a major risk if the employee comes forward.”
Clinic student Angelo Tadrous ’26 explained that while employer retaliation against an employee is illegal, many workers may be fearful to voice complaints about their employers in the first place due to this type of coercion.
“All employees, whether immigrants or not, deserve equal protection and rights in the workplace. All employees should be able to speak up without fear of a negative consequence. This bill stands for this,” Tadrous said. “In light of the current political climate, it is extremely important that we ensure that our Washington immigrants feel safe and have a voice in the workplace.”
He and Yasmene Hammoud ’25 have traveled to Olympia this legislative session to testify in support of the bill as it moved through the Senate Labor & Commerce, Ways & Means, and Rules Committees, before being voted on by the entire Senate. Hammoud relayed to legislators the experience of a restaurant server helped by the clinic who was denied rest breaks, forced to work overtime, and only paid once in four months. When the worker demanded her employer pay her the $9,000 in back wages she was legally owed, her employer replied that she had no rights as an undocumented immigrant and threatened to report her to the federal government.
“As a daughter of immigrants, I’ve witnessed firsthand the fear and vulnerability that many workers face when their immigration status is used against them. This bill represents the fight for those who’ve been silenced and taken advantage of, and it’s why I’m deeply invested in this work,” Hammoud said. “It’s about ensuring that every worker, no matter their immigration status, is entitled to the same fair and respectful working conditions.”
The bill now moves on to the House of Representatives, where it is currently in the Labor & Workplace Standards Committee.
“The moment this bill passed in the Senate, I felt a deep sense of hope and validation for the countless workers who have long been vulnerable to exploitation,” Hammoud said. “While this is a crucial step forward, we know the work isn’t done yet. However, this victory marks an overdue recognition that immigrant workers deserve stronger protections from coercion and intimidation in the workplace. It’s a pivotal step toward creating a more just and equitable environment for all workers across Washington State.”
This is not the first time that Workers’ Rights Clinic students have helped draft new laws for the state of Washington. Two years ago, the clinic worked with legislators to write a bill increasing penalties for employers who commit wage theft. The bill was signed into law in spring of 2023.