Debbie Schlussel: Wal-Mart & Illegals: 1st, ICE Let's Them Off the Hook; Now It's Judge Greenaway
Wal-Mart is notorious for employing illegal aliens. And getting away with it.
Last year, we detailed how Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) knew that Wal-Mart knowingly forced contractors to hire illegal aliens as janitors in Wal-Mart stores, to keep costs down. Top Wal-Mart executives were caught on surveillance tape pressuring the contractors to hire only illegals and not to replace them with legal workers. But ICE didn't do anything about it. They allowed Wal-Mart pay a few million (a drop in the bucket) and let them off the hook.
Later, Wal-Mart was again caught using contractors who hire illegal aliens to build Wal-Mart stores. Yet, again, ICE let Wal-Mart off the hook.
Now, U.S. District Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr. of Newark, New Jersey--a Bill Clinton appointee--is letting Wal-Mart off the hook. A group of illegal alien janitors sued Wal-Mart in federal court saying Wal-Mart knowingly hired illegal aliens, forced them into involuntary servitude, and consipired with contractors to launder money. Transcripts of tapes in ICE's possession and excerpted, last year, in the Wall Street Journal and a number of Arkansas papers, back up the claims in the lawsuit 100%. But Judge Greenaway doesn't give a whit. Instead, yesterday, he ruled the aliens have inadequate proof to support these claims, and dismissed the important civil racketeering claims in the suit.
As a result of Judge Greenaway's boneheaded decision, shares of Wal-Mart stock went up 55 cents a share, yesterday.
Although we are 100% against extending illegal aliens most rights that Americans have, we do support their right to sue employers because it is the only thing that keeps employers honest and gives them an incentive to hire legal American workers. ICE's workplace enforcement is barely there. After the wimper of show arrests in April, May, and June, we haven't seen much. And that has everything to do with the fact that Senate immigration legislation, containing a guest worker/illegal alien amnesty program, is DOA.
Jeers to Judge Greenaway for letting Wal-Mart, yet again, get away with employing illegal aliens. Double Jeers to ICE for never doing anything to Wal-Mart about it, either.
Talk about a company having nine lives in violating immigration laws. Wal-Mart is it.
More details on Judge Greenaway letting Wal-Mart off the hook from Bloomberg News Service.
Posted by Debbie on August 29, 2006 09:58 AM to Debbie Schlussel