Attorney General Phil Weiser issues alert after wage theft retaliation reports

Aug. 27, 2025 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser today issued an alert to remind employees of their rights and Colorado employers of their responsibilities under the law when it comes to reporting wage theft and retaliation against such reports. The alert comes after informal reports to the attorney general’s office of employers making illegal deportation threats to immigrant workers who report wage theft.

Under Colorado law, it is illegal to make threats of reporting or to report a worker to any local, state, or federal law enforcement organization, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, in retaliation for a worker asserting their legal rights.

“I want Colorado employers to know that it is illegal to threaten to call ICE, or any law enforcement organization, in response to a worker asserting their rights under the Colorado Wage Act,” said Attorney General Weiser. “I encourage any worker, regardless of their immigration status, who experiences retaliation after reporting wage theft, to file a retaliation claim with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and to file a complaint with me at StopFraudColorado.gov. I will not hesitate to use my authority under the law to hold accountable employers who illegally use fear and intimidation to prevent workers from exercising their legal rights.”

Under state law, workers who engage in “protected activity” are protected from retaliation.  This includes filing formal and informal complaints about wage theft to an employer or any other person or entity. Workers are protected even if they are ultimately incorrect about their complaint.

Employers who use or threaten to use a worker’s immigration status in retaliation for a wage theft complaint are breaking the law. Any effort to use a person’s immigration status to avoid payment of wages, or any other exercise of labor rights, is also illegal.

Workers who suspect they may be the victims of illegal retaliation can file a report with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, or CDLE (opens new window).

While the attorney general’s office does not represent individuals, the attorney general can investigate suspected worker rights violations. In addition to filing a formal claim with CDLE, workers are also encouraged to file a complaint at StopFraudColorado.gov if they have been subjected to any illegal employer conduct.

Read a one-page information sheet on this topic in English and Spanish (PDF).

Read an accessible version of the one-page information sheet (PDF).

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