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Media Release October 19, 2004

Contact: Leonor Suarez (202) 828-9675 x19
Employment Services in D.C. Not Bilingual Enough
Unemployment, Job Training Not Accessible to Immigrants

(October 19 – Washington, D.C.) The D.C. Department of Employment Services did not comply with federal law requiring bilingual access to government-funded programs, according to an 18-month investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. In a report issued publicly this week, the DOL said the Department of Employment Services failed to translate key documents and did not do any required monitoring of bilingual services. The Department of Employment Services has a deadline of March 30, 2005 to comply with federal law or risk the loss of federal funding.

The 18-month investigation was conducted following a formal complaint filed by the D.C. Employment Justice Center in June 2003. “The DOL has confirmed what we have always known from the workers who walk through our doors,â€