Virginia expanded wage theft protections, automatically sealed criminal records, and tightened eviction rules. DC’s minimum wage just hit $18.40 an hour. Here is what changed across the region on July 1.
On July 1, 2026, new laws took effect across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC that carry real, immediate consequences for the African immigrant workers and families who live and work across the DMV. The changes cover wages, criminal records, rent, job applications, and the terms under which federal immigration agents are permitted to operate near homes, schools, and places of worship.
Some of these provisions are narrow and jurisdiction-specific. Others are broad enough to affect tens of thousands of people who may not yet know the law has changed in their favor. What follows is a plain-language breakdown of what shifted and what it means, organized by state and jurisdiction. Because every person’s situation is different, readers should confirm their circumstances with a licensed attorney before taking action.
Virginia: the most consequential changes for immigrant communities
The most targeted provision in this round of legislation is Virginia House Bill 675, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger and effective July 1. Under the new law, an employer in Virginia cannot legally threaten a worker about their immigration status to prevent them from reporting wage theft or a minimum wage violation. The Commonwealth Institute, a Virginia-based policy research organization, noted in its 2026 session analysis that undocumented immigrants are more than twice as likely to experience wage theft compared to US-born workers, and that immigration threats have historically functioned as a tool to keep those workers silent. HB 675 makes that tool illegal.
Alongside the wage theft measure, Virginia’s Clean Slate Law also took effect July 1. Eligible misdemeanor convictions, including marijuana distribution, trespassing, and shoplifting, will be automatically sealed from public criminal records after a designated waiting period. The Associated Press reported roughly 100,000 records are expected to qualify under the automatic sealing provision. For Virginians with more serious class 5 or 6 felony convictions, a petition process is now available after a 10-year crime-free period, according to WTOP’s coverage. For members of the African diaspora who have carried years-old convictions that continue to limit access to jobs, housing, and professional licensing, this provision removes a barrier that researchers have consistently linked to suppressed employment and earnings.
Two additional Virginia changes deserve particular attention. HB 636 now requires employers to post a salary or wage range on any job listing and prohibits them from asking applicants about their previous pay history, per Crowell and Moring’s employment law analysis of the 2026 session. That shift matters for immigrant workers who have long accepted offers below market rate because they had no visibility into what a role actually paid. Under HB 601, banks and other financial institutions now carry the automatic responsibility for protecting exempt funds from wage garnishment, a burden that previously fell on the worker being garnished.
Virginia also extended the window before eviction. Landlords subject to the state’s Landlord and Tenants Act now have to wait 14 days before pursuing eviction for nonpayment, compared to the previous 5-day period, per WTOP reporting. For renters navigating late paychecks, healthcare costs, or unexpected expenses, that additional 9 days can mean the difference between keeping housing and losing it.
On immigration enforcement specifically, Virginia’s new rules establish clear limits on how local law enforcement can cooperate with ICE. Under the new framework, ICE cannot carry out operations at schools, faith-based organizations, courthouses, or polling places during voting. Any local agency that holds a cooperation agreement with federal immigration authorities must now receive the names of involved officers in advance, and those agents must clearly identify themselves as ICE while on duty. The Virginia Human Rights Act was also expanded this session, extending anti-discrimination protections to employers with five or more employees, down from the prior threshold of fifteen.
Maryland and DC: energy relief, wage gains, and a prohibition on immigration enforcement deals
Maryland’s most broadly relevant change for lower-income and working-class households is the Utility RELIEF Act, now in effect. The governor’s office described the measure as a package expected to reduce the average household’s energy bill by roughly $150 annually, with low-income families potentially saving up to $1,400 by clearing past-due utility balances and offsetting future costs. Many African immigrant households in Maryland, particularly those headed by home healthcare workers, domestic workers, and service industry employees, fall squarely within the income brackets the law was designed to help.
Slightly ahead of the July 1 wave, Maryland HB 444 went into effect on June 1, prohibiting the state, local governments, and county sheriffs from entering into immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. The Maryland State Bar Association’s 2026 legislative wrap-up confirmed the law requires the termination of any existing such agreements by that date. Gov. Wes Moore also signed an executive order earlier this year creating an Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force, directed to document the barriers immigrant Marylanders face in workplaces, as tenants, and as consumers, with an initial report due July 15, 2026.
Workers in Montgomery County will see a minimum wage increase this month, with the county raising its wage floor on July 1 to keep pace with inflation, per Fox Baltimore’s reporting on the new Maryland measures. Montgomery County, home to one of the largest concentrations of African immigrant professionals in the state, has consistently maintained a local wage floor above Maryland’s statewide rate.
In Washington DC, the minimum wage rose from $17.95 to $18.40 per hour on July 1, a $0.45 increase indexed to the Consumer Price Index for the Washington Metropolitan Area. The living wage, which applies to government contractors and assistance recipients of $100,000 or more, rose to the same rate. Tipped workers in DC now earn a base of $10.30 per hour, set at 56 percent of the regular minimum wage under the DC Council’s amendments to Initiative 82, per Mercans’ statutory reporting on the change.
DC continues to hold some of the most worker-protective labor laws in the country. As of January 2026, the District banned non-compete agreements for most employees earning under $162,164 annually, and requires employers to itemize every source of compensation, including tips, bonuses, and commissions, on employee pay stubs.
For readers navigating these changes in the context of business ownership and community resources, AfroDMV’s coverage of how African entrepreneurs in the DMV are accessing capital outlines the financial support infrastructure available in the region. For a closer look at the civic and economic footprint of the community these laws most directly affect, see our profiles of the Nigerian diaspora’s reach across the DMV and the Cameroonian community’s network across the region.
FAQ
Can my employer in Virginia threaten to call immigration officials if I complain about unpaid wages?
No. Under HB 675, which took effect July 1, 2026, that is now illegal in Virginia. An employer cannot use your immigration status as a threat to stop you from filing a wage theft or minimum wage complaint. If this has happened to you, contact the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry or consult an employment and immigration attorney before taking action.
Does Virginia’s Clean Slate Law apply to everyone with a criminal record?
No. The automatic sealing provision covers eligible misdemeanor convictions, such as marijuana offenses, trespassing, and shoplifting, after a designated waiting period. Violent offenses, sex offenses, firearm charges, and several other serious offense categories are excluded. A petition process is available for certain class 5 or 6 felonies after 10 crime-free years. An attorney can confirm whether your specific record qualifies.
Did Maryland pass its own Clean Slate record-sealing law in 2026?
No. Maryland’s Clean Slate Act (HB 360/SB 483) stalled in the House in April 2026, despite passing the Senate, per WYPR’s reporting. It had not been signed into law as of available reporting. The automatic record-sealing law that took effect July 1, 2026 is Virginia’s, not Maryland’s.