Summary: Even when a worker is in the country illegally, they still have the right to fair treatment from their employment and the EEOC has proven that.
Five women in Florida were awarded $17.4 million by a federal jury after they were groped and raped by supervisors at a vegetable farm. Four of the women are illegal immigrants from Mexico or Guatemala.
While some may argue that illegal immigrants are not entitled to protection, everyone that enters the United States deserves protection from being taken advantage of. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has made it a point to make sure everyone is protected.
Illegal immigrants are some of the most vulnerable because they are generally unaware of their rights, are unable to communicate the issues, and fear being deported if they do report abuse. There is a double edge sword, it is illegal to hire people unauthorized to work in the U.S. but it is also illegal to violate their rights.
This particular case was brought to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by the EEOC working with Florida Legal Services and Mesa & Coe Law. The women were attacked by supervisors at Moreno Farms Inc, from 2011 to 2012 in Felda, Florida. Some women were forced to perform sexual acts or be fired, some were fired anyways.
Three of the women filed a report with police but the local prosecutor dropped their cases for lack of evidence. It was then that the EEOC picked up the case.
Source: http://www.litigationdaily.com/home/id=1202737185207
Photo: huffingtonpost.com