The credibility gap on immigration enforcement at work

by Brightmine

A Brightmine survey of 1,000 U.S. adults finds that confidence in employer preparedness is split: nearly half (46%) lack confidence that employers are prepared to handle enforcement actions in a way that protects employees and follows the law, while 45% are confident (with 9% saying they don’t know enough to say).

The data points to why: there is a clear credibility gap between what employees believe employers should do — and what they say their employers have communicated or put in place. Where guidance is limited or absent, uncertainty fills the gap.

What employees expect from employers during immigration enforcement

Respondents are aligned on the kinds of actions they expect from employers if immigration enforcement reaches the workplace:

• More than half say employers should provide clear information about employee rights and what to expect (57%).
• Many also expect employers to train managers and employees on how to respond to audits or raids (46%), offer support resources for affected employees (37%) and have formal response plans in place (32%).
• Around a quarter (27%) expect employers to actively address employee privacy protections related to immigration matters.

Importantly, this is not a call for employers to take a public or political stance. Only 17% of respondents believe employers should publicly speak out or take a position on immigration policy. Most workers are looking for practical, workplace-focused action.

Where employer action falls short

Only 21% recall receiving clear information about employee rights and what to expect if immigration enforcement affects the workplace. Meanwhile, just 17% say their employer has provided training on how to respond to situations like raids and audits, and only 14% say formal response plans have been communicated.

Privacy protections show one of the starkest gaps: while 27% expect employers to address privacy, only 9% say their employer has communicated about it.

Most strikingly, 30% of employed respondents say they have seen none of these actions at all.

The result is a credibility gap: Even where policies or procedures may exist, employees don’t feel confident they are in place—or don’t understand how they would work in practice.

How silence on immigration enforcement increases workplace uncertainty

This lack of clarity increases uncertainty. More than a quarter of respondents (26%) say recent immigration enforcement actions have made them concerned about how friends or family might be affected at work. Nearly one in five (18%) report feeling more anxious about workplace safety and stability, and 17% say they’ve seen others avoid the workplace out of concern for safety.

Only 12% say they’ve felt supported by their employer in relation to immigration enforcement changes. At the same time, 15% say they’ve been hesitant to raise concerns at work because they don’t know where managers or leadership stand.

When employees don’t hear anything, uncertainty grows—and for a meaningful minority, that uncertainty shapes how safe, stable and open work feels.

Younger workers: Confidence doesn’t equal psychological safety

The findings also reveal a clear generational pattern. Gen Z is more likely than other generations to say employers are prepared to handle immigration enforcement actions in a way that protects employees and follows the law – but that higher confidence does not translate into feeling safe or supported at work.

Half of Gen Z respondents (50%) say they are confident in employer preparedness (24% very confident; 26% somewhat confident). Yet Gen Z is also the most likely group to report workplace impacts linked to recent immigration enforcement actions:

• A quarter (25%) say they feel more anxious about workplace safety and stability
• 41% say they are concerned about friends or family being affected at their place of work

Gen Z respondents are also more likely to describe behavioral warning signs. One in five (20%) say they feel less comfortable attending their workplace, and 26% say they’ve been hesitant to raise concerns because they don’t know how managers or leaders feel.

For employers, this matters because it suggests that formal preparedness alone isn’t enough. If employees can’t see, understand and rely on the support that exists – or don’t know what will happen in practice – uncertainty increases, and people are less likely to speak up.

What this means for employers and HR leaders

The findings point to a clear takeaway: preparedness must be visible to be effective.

Employers don’t need to take a public stance on immigration policy. But they do need to ensure employees can see, understand and trust the practical steps in place, including:

• Clearly communicating employee rights and what to expect
• Equipping managers with practical guidance
• Documenting and sharing response plans
• Addressing privacy protections directly
• Creating space for questions and discussion, so employees aren’t left guessing

Without that clarity, even well‑intentioned organizations risk undermining trust and psychological safety at work. For HR leaders, the challenge isn’t just legal readiness – it’s making sure employees can recognize, rely on and feel supported by the measures designed to protect them.

About the research

Brightmine commissioned a survey of 1,000 U.S.-based adults aged 18 and over to explore how recent immigration enforcement actions are shaping employee expectations, confidence in employer preparedness and workplace experiences.