Employer Said I Can’t File For Unemployment

My employer stopped paying me but didn’t lay me off or fire me. I kept working for weeks until it became obvious to me that “I’ll have your paycheck soon” was not true. Then he told me repeatedly not to file for unemployment - first he said because the business didn’t qualify for unemployment insurance for its employees, and then because he told me filing would be bad for him because he’s behind on bills and taxes. He still owes me thousands in wages, also.

Which laws has my employer broken? Is it illegal to convince your employees not to file for unemployment or to tell them they won’t qualify? I’m in Wisconsin.