Rashida Tlaib

By Jonathan Oosting– MLive

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) on Thursday introduced legislation that would extend workers’ compensation rights to illegal immigrants in Michigan.

Under the Worker’s Disability Compensation Act of 1969, Michigan employers are required to pay injured employees roughly 80 percent of their normal wages for a specified period — unless the employee cannot work because of imprisonment or commission of a crime.

Tlaib wants to amend the act to specify that “commission of a crime” does not include “alien’s working without employment authorization or an alien’s use of false documents.”

She’s not alone.

WILX reports Tlaib and a group of like-minded residents — some illegal immigrants — rallied for workers compensation rights at the State Capitol in Lansing on Thursday.

March 11, WILX.com: “We’re only one of two states in the nation that does not allow workers that are undocumented to compensate when they are injured on the job,” said state Rep. Rashida Tlaib from Detroit.

…”Allowing workers’ compensation for all injured workers is a better system than allowing people to be part of a black market of undocumented workers,” Tlaib said at the rally.

Some of her fellow lawmakers, though, say her bill doesn’t stand a chance.

“The only thing we should be giving illegal immigrants is a bus ride home,” said state Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, after hearing about the bill.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates Michigan had an illegal alien population of 125,000 as of 2008. Many aliens pay social security and real-estate taxes, but none are protected if they’re hurt on the job.
 
Nationally, the Center of Immigration Studies estimates that more than 50 percent of illegal immigrants work “on the books,” often providing employers with fraudulent documents.

Tlaib’s legislation — House Bill 5952 – was co-sponsored by Reps. Coleman Young, Vincent Gregory, Lesia Liss, Alma Wheeler Smith, Gabe Leland, Ellen Cogen Lipton and Bert Johnson.  It was referred to the Committee on Labor.