1. Immigrants’ Rights
    1. Local Resources
      1. Educate yourself and keep current with policies
      2. Legal Aid
    2. Additional Resources
  2. Your Rights to Engage with Your Union
    1. Are international students allowed to join their workplace’s union?
    2. As an international student, how would a union benefit me?
    3. I am an undocumented worker, am I allowed to join a union and help in organizing it?
    4. Will my union membership affect my student visa? Can it affect future visas?
    5. Can union membership affect my applications for jobs on-campus or off-campus?
    6. I know it’s illegal, but what if I face retaliation or similar?
    7. Are there any restrictions on my ability to participate in union activities such as picketing, rallies, and leafleting as an international student?
    8. Are there any other issues I should be aware of as an international student?
  3. Some Helpful External Resources on Labor Rights

Immigrants’ Rights

  

Local Resources

Educate yourself and keep current with policies

  • Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) – this organization has information to educate you on your rights, trainings, and resources.
  • UMN Briefings – this page is regularly updated with information about immigration policies and news, especially as apply to UMN
  • ISSS – International Student and Scholar Services has resources about visas, documents, travel, etc.

Additional Resources

  • ACLU – this page has guides for how to respond to many different immigration-related scenarios you may encounter (available in English and Spanish).
  • Red Cards – print your own! These cards outline your constitutional rights and are available in many languages. They are intended to be used to communicate with immigration officials.
  • Online Detainee Locator System – this system allows you to search for someone who has been detained by ICE to find out where they are being held.
  • Immigration Hotlines – this is a list of hotlines where you can report raids, seek help if being detained or at risk of being deported, and report missing migrants.
  • Make an Emergency Plan – follow this link for suggested guidelines on information needed for an emergency plan
  • Immigration Preparedness Toolkit – this document helps you know your rights, know your options, and plan ahead.
  • 287g Agreements Map – find out if local law enforcement in your area can act as immigration enforcement agents.
  • Check out this checklist from the National Immigration Project on what to do if a community member is arrested by ICE:
2025_NIPNLG-ChecklistDownload

Your Rights to Engage with Your Union

Are international students allowed to join their workplace’s union?

Yes! The National Labor Relations Board explicitly protects your right to participate in union activity. You have the same employee rights and protections as any other employee. Also, it is illegal for any employer to punish workers for participating in workplace organizing, and there are no effects on visa or immigration status due to union participation or membership.

As an international student, how would a union benefit me?

One of our core platform points is support for international grad workers. The international students fee is unfair and discriminatory. Forming a union will provide a voice and advocacy for international graduate students who don’t always know the U.S. university system. We can help ensure that departmental hiring practices are clear, open, and fair so that international graduate students don’t miss out on work opportunities. Since U.S. law prohibits international students from being paid for more than 20 hours per week during the academic year, making sure that the minimum stipend guarantees a decent living standard is even more critical. All grads and their families deserve better and more affordable benefits, a fair and enforceable grievance procedure, higher wages, a voice in our working conditions, and respect as employees.

I am an undocumented worker, am I allowed to join a union and help in organizing it?

Yes! All workers, including those who are undocumented, have the same basic employment rights as other workers, regardless of their immigration status. A comprehensive breakdown of these rights by legislation is available here. You can also refer to the FAQs listed here.

Will my union membership affect my student visa? Can it affect future visas?

No. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cannot ask you questions about your union membership or participation in lawful union activity. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recognized the importance of enforcing labor laws and signed an agreement with the Department of Labor (DOL) that states it is essential to ensure proper wages and working conditions for all covered workers regardless of immigration status. It is your right to belong to a union and being a union member cannot and should not affect your visa application.

Can union membership affect my applications for jobs on-campus or off-campus?

No. You have the right to be affiliated with a Union and any unfair treatment because of that is considered illegal. In fact, the act of inquiring about union membership might be considered coercive and a violation.

I know it’s illegal, but what if I face retaliation or similar?

Our greatest source of protection is each other. With thousands of international grad workers, spread across every department, we know that the administration cannot target one of us without targeting all of us. Together, we will stand up and fight for each and every single member. Alone, we have no power; together, the administration cannot threaten us.

It is illegal to retaliate based on union activities, as stated in the National Labor Relations Act (1935). We have ample legal recourse against any retaliation. We are affiliated with UE (United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America), a national union that has more than 80 years of experience, a history of standing up for marginalized workers, and legal expertise and professional staff to handle and respond to .

Are there any restrictions on my ability to participate in union activities such as picketing, rallies, and leafleting as an international student?

No. Activities such as picketing, rallies, leafleting, demonstrations, etc., are forms of expression and free association, which are protected for foreigners in the U.S. (including foreign students with visas) as they are for U.S. nationals. It is against the law for your employer (the University) to retaliate against you for participating in these protected activities.

Are there any other issues I should be aware of as an international student?

In nearly 40 years of graduate employee unionization, there is no reported instance of any international student having problems with the law or with their visa status as a result of their union activity. It is against the law for the University to retaliate against you for union activities. Therefore, there are no reasons for concern as unionization is a right protected and regulated by the law.

Some Helpful External Resources on Labor Rights