The U.S. Senate has confirmed William J. Sanchez to be the new special counsel for the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), the office within the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Dept. that is primarily responsible for enforcing the antidiscrimination provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA).  The Dec. 8, 2004, Senate vote was unanimous in favor of confirmation.

Before his appointment as special counsel, Sanchez worked as an immigration attorney in Florida for over 15 years, appearing before the immigration courts and handling appeals to both the Board of Immigration Appeals and the federal courts.  Among his clients were Haitian farmworkers and Cuban refugees.  Early in his career, Sanchez was a staff attorney for the Haitian Refugee Center, and he also taught international law at Ateneo University, in the Philippines. 

The OSC investigates discrimination complaints filed by workers authorized to be employed in the U.S. and, as it deems appropriate, prosecutes cases against employers that have violated the law.  The IRCA provides that employers may not, on the basis of workers’ national origin or citizenship status, discriminate against them in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee.  Neither may employers discriminate against workers based on the documents they present to establish their employment eligibility, as long the documents presented are on the I‑9 employment eligibility verification form’s list of approved documents and they reasonably appear to be genuine.  Nor may employers retaliate against workers who file a discrimination claim against them.

The OSC’s website — www.usdoj.gov/crt/osc/ — has more information about the office’s antidiscrimination enforcement efforts, as well as its outreach and education programs.