6/8/26 Oregon House Bill 4111 Expands Protections for Immigrant Workers

June 8, 2026

On April 6, 2026, Oregon enacted House Bill 4111 (the “Law”) into law. Effective June 5, 2026, the Law prohibits employers from discriminating against, discharging, or retaliating against an employee who updates or attempts to update personal information after a lawful change in employment authorization documentation. The Law also limits the use of immigration status evidence in civil proceedings, reflecting a broader effort to protect immigrant workers in the workplace and in litigation.

Key Changes

Under the Law, an Oregon employer may not discriminate, retaliate, discharge, or otherwise take adverse action against an employee because the employee updates or attempts to update their personal information based on a lawful change in their federal employment authorization documentation. 

The Law also implements limits on the newly established employee protections. An employer does not violate the Law when they take action required to comply with federal employment authorization verification obligations. 

The Law amends ORS Chapter 659A to incorporate this new protection into Oregon’s employment discrimination framework, which means affected employees may pursue remedies under existing Oregon employment law. Furthermore, the Law generally makes a party’s or witness’s immigration status inadmissible in civil proceedings unless that status is essential to proving a claim or defense, subject to limited exceptions.

Implications for Employers

Practically, this update in Oregon law will be implicated in situations where an employee, who may have previously been unauthorized to work, is granted work authorization in one form or another and seeks to update their information with their employer. Employers who previously may have taken action against an employee solely for being dishonest in regards to their prior work authorization status are now unable to do so.

Oregon employers should review their onboarding, record update, and employment authorization verification practices to ensure that employees who lawfully update their information are treated consistently and without discrimination or retaliation. Failure to comply with these new protections may expose employers to penalties and litigation.

Please contact Wilson Jarrell at 503-276-2181 or wjarrell@barran.com or Winslow Robinson at 503-276-2103 or wrobinson@barran.com with any questions or for assistance in determining your employment compliance.