Utah lawmakers are weighing legislation that tells employers they can’t punish workers or refuse to hire someone because they chose to cooperate with police or immigration agents.
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The 2026 Utah Legislature starts today (1/20/2026)
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HB244 from Rep. Lisa Shepherd, R-Provo, does two things at once: it bars employers from forbidding voluntary cooperation with law enforcement—including immigration officers—and it bars employers from requiring that cooperation. Firing or disciplining someone because they spoke with police or ICE would be off-limits.
By explicitly defining “law enforcement officer” to include immigration officers, the bill closes a possible loophole: no ordering workers to talk to ICE and no retaliation if they choose to do it anyway.
Elsewhere, businesses have pushed back on immigration enforcement. In Minnesota, some have denied ICE and CPB access without a judicial warrant and even refused service to off-duty agents.
Employers would still get some protections under HB244. They can require workers not to share legally protected information like trade secrets or privileged materials, but they can’t block cooperation wholesale.
The proposal carries no criminal penalty if an employer were to take action against a worker or job applicant for cooperating with law enforcement, but it does allow for a civil action. Job applicants or employees who believe they were punished for cooperating could sue and argue pretext if an employer blames “performance” while the real issue was their cooperation.
Utah already has whistleblower protections for public employees. HB244 extends a similar shield to private-sector workers who voluntarily cooperate with police or immigration.