Rantz: Democrats may force businesses to pay illegal immigrants to go to court

If Washington Democrats have their way, illegal immigrants would be allowed to use paid sick leave to prepare for or attend court hearings related to their unlawful entry or extended stay in the county. It even would apply to helping or attending a family member in this country illegally. Effectively, this means businesses would have to pay an employee they might not even know is in this country illegally.

House Bill 1875 expands the permissible uses of paid sick leave. Currently, employees can utilize paid sick leave primarily for personal or family illnesses and preventive care. This bill would add a provision allowing employees to use their accrued paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in judicial or administrative immigration proceedings involving themselves or their family members. Democrats argue that this allows employees to attend to critical immigration matters without the risk of job loss or income disruption.

This bill is so absurd that it could only come from a legislature that prioritizes illegal immigrants over everybody else.

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Why should a business be forced to pay this?

Paid sick leave is employer-funded. It’s always been intended to cover people who get sick, not for them to fight to stay in this country illegally. To change the law to specifically help illegal immigrants avoid consequences for their lawlessness is beyond unethical.

Why would an employer cover time off for immigration proceedings in cases when the person is choosing to live in the country illegally? What’s worse, how is it fair to pay someone to stay home and pay someone to cover for the employee, just so they can help someone else stay in this country illegally? There are no exceptions listed in the bill. For example, a family member could take paid sick time to help a convicted felon avoid deportation. We’re supposed to force business owners to pretend that is some kind of noble cause?

It’s not even entirely sure how aspects of this bill would work without forcing a business owner to break the law because this bill is not just for someone seeking asylum or who is temporarily allowed to work in this country.

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Wouldn’t this force a business into breaking federal immigration law?

Federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant. This bill would require the business owner to pay someone to attend a hearing justifying their lawlessness? The business has a legal obligation to report an illegal immigrant that was hired. By paying for an illegal immigrant to attend a court hearing when a business did not previously know they were in this country illegally, this law effectively forces someone who otherwise would not have found out that they hired someone unlawfully.

And can a business owner terminate someone who reveals they are taking paid sick time to help justify their unlawful entry into this country?

Even from an economic standpoint, this makes no sense.

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Running a business is already hard enough

Employers in Washington already struggle under high taxes, excessive regulations, and mandated benefits that make running a business a nightmare. Now, they’ll have to bankroll employees’ legal battles over their immigration status.

If this sounds insane, that’s because it is. And what’s stopping an employee from abusing this, claiming a “court proceeding” just to take extra paid time off?

This bill is yet another example of Washington’s progressive leadership bending over backward for illegal immigrants while ignoring the everyday challenges business owners face. It’s not about fairness—it’s about pushing an open-borders agenda under the guise of “workers’ rights.”

If Democrats get their way, illegal immigrants will get yet another taxpayer-funded handout, while businesses are left holding the bill.

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