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Two more immigrants have bravely stepped forward to say that they worked at Donald Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf club despite not having authorization to be in the U.S., the New York Times reports, bringing the total number of Trump resort workers who say that management knew that they lacked legal status and employed them anyway to a total of four.
One of the two women, Gilberta Dominguez, said that the person interviewing her knew her documents were fake. ”’We said the papers are not good. She said it didn’t matter, but don’t talk about it,’ recalled Ms. Dominguez, who is from Mexico. The woman who interviewed them, she said, filled out the application for them and took their fake Social Security and permanent resident cards,” the New York Times reports.
Dominguez worked at the club for about six months and quit over abusive behavior from staff, something echoed from the other immigrants bravely taking on the president of the United States. “She called us ‘stupid people’ and would say, ‘This is America. Here they speak English, not Spanish,’” Dominguez told the New York Times.
Earlier this week, Victorina Morales stepped forward with the explosive revelation that she had worked at Trump’s club for five years and that management allegedly helped her secure false documentation so she could keep working there. Morales also decided to speak out after being subjected to abuse. “I’m tired of being humiliated and treated like a stupid person,” she said. “We’re just immigrants who don’t have papers.”
It shouldn’t be any shock that Trump, who has railed on undocumented immigrant, has exploited immigrant labor in his own businesses. Trump Tower was built on the back of undocumented Polish labor. But the workers also raise serious question of alleged criminal behavior by the Trump Organization that leading immigration attorney David Leopold says needs to be investigated.
“The number of undocumented immigrants alleging they were recruited, hired and abused by the Trump organization at the Bedminster Club has grown and is likely growing,” he said. “These allegations smack of a pattern and practice of criminal activity and civil violations by the Trump organization.” Just as importantly, the awe-inspiring workers who stepped forward must be protected.
“The brave women who’ve come forward to seek justice are victims of crime,” he continued, saying that the “Department of Homeland Security and New Jersey authorities must protect Ms. Morales and the other undocumented workers by providing them legal protection potentially through the issuance of U and T visas and other forms of protection. No one is above the law, including the President of the United States, his family and his businesses.”