According to a Pew Research Center analysis, about 5 percent of the U.S. labor force consists of undocumented immigrants. That means that more than 25 million workers in the country are foreign-born and do not have legal status.
Although undocumented individuals don’t have the right to work legally in the U.S., if they do, they have the right to be paid for their work at minimum wage plus overtime. They also have the right to work in a healthy and safe environment and if they get injured on the job, in some states, they have the right to collect compensation benefits.
The United States Constitution provides several laws that are generally applicable to all citizens living in the U.S., including illegal immigrants. Thus, they have the right to a trial if they are charged, the right against self-incrimination, and they have the right to file lawsuits themselves. In matters of immigration, they have the right to an attorney, to contest deportation or removal efforts.
In certain states, such as California, Connecticut, Columbia, Illinois, Nevada, Colorado, Delaware, Washington, New Mexico, Maryland, Utah, and Vermont, undocumented immigrants can even obtain a driver’s license.
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