Posted on 05/26/2006 2:28:52 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE, WI (AP) -- A federal jury found a wealthy suburban couple guilty Friday of harboring an illegal immigrant and forcing her to work as their maid for 19 years.
The Filipino national testified during the eight-day trial that she felt like a prisoner in Jefferson N. and Elnora Calimlim's Brookfield home.
The Calimlims were found guilty of harboring an illegal immigrant for financial gain, conspiracy to harbor an illegal immigrant for financial gain, forced labor and attempted forced labor.
Their eldest son, 31-year-old Jefferson M. Calimlim, was found guilty of harboring an illegal immigrant, one of three charges against him.
Irma Martinez testified she worked 16 hour days for minimal pay for the Calimlims, physicians who are legal residents of the United States but citizens of the Philippines.
The Calimlims face prison, fines, deportation and forfeiture of their $1.2 million home when sentenced Sept. 15. Their U.S.-born son faces prison and fines.
In closing arguments Thursday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed Martinez volunteered to work for five years as a live-in maid and nanny for the Calimlims and their three children.
But prosecutors said Martinez "lost the best years of her life" because she feared imprisonment and deportation if she left the family.
"The defendants stole 19 years of Irma Martinez's life," said Susan French, a prosecutor from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. "They stole 19 years of freedom."
She said the couple benefited from Martinez's cheap labor.
Jefferson N. Calimlim's attorney, Tom Brown, told jurors the couple had plenty of money to hire an American worker. He said Elnora Calimlim wanted a Filipino maid because she had one while growing up in the Philippines, and she wanted only to help a fellow Filipino.
Elnora Calimlim testified Martinez earned $150 a month for the first 10 years and $400 a month thereafter. Most of the money went to Martinez's parents, who French said received about $18,000 over the 19 years.
Martinez would have earned about $480,000 over that period had the Calimlims paid her a U.S. minimum wage for her 16-hour days, a U.S. Department of Labor witness testified.
Do we have enough prosecutors and judges to start on the rest of the conspirators? In any case we should start as soon as possible.
She lived and worked here for all those years and has had no access to TV or Radio?
Sounds like a house full of RATs.......
What a helper! $150 a month for 10 years, then $400 a month for the next 9. How helpful!
Finally, America begins to crack down on people who own $1.2 million dollar houses.
Something stinks here, how could she live and work without seeing something wrong.
Legislation Would Board Illegals in Private Homes
May 26, 2006
The Senate has voted to require citizens to board illegal aliens in private homes. The legislation, introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), is
modeled on the troop boarding practices employed in Boston during the 1770s.
"Two problems faced by these immigrants are homelessness and racism," said Kennedy. "This bill will fix both."
Under the plan, the Dept of Housing and Urban Development would compile a database of U.S. housing including square footage, number of inhabitants and location. Illegal aliens would be assigned to homes where the square footage per inhabitant exceeds the national average by 20 percent or more.
"Instead of roaming the streets or crowding into ghetto apartments,
immigrants would enjoy a secure roof over their heads," said Kennedy. "They'd be clean, well-rested and more readily employable. They could also use the address when registering to vote."
Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) called Kennedy's bill "mind-boggling." "Senator Kennedy and the 49 other senators who voted for his bill want to grant special privileges to lawbreakers," said Ensign. "This goes beyond amnesty to insanity."
Kennedy dismissed critics as "racists." "We are a wealthy country," said Kennedy. "Many Americans have a surplus of living space. Sharing that space with our brown brothers from Mexico would be both humane and enlightening. Bringing people together like this bill would do helps promote understanding and tolerance. Segregating immigrants in Latino ghettos is racist."
Kennedy said he was inspired to do this so that "whatever happened to 'Little Billy' wouldn't happen to 'Little Pedro.'"
read more satire at...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
Thank God that was satire! It's hard to tell them apart these days, LOL!
"Martinez would have earned about $480,000 over that period had the Calimlims paid her a U.S. minimum wage for her 16-hour days, a U.S. Department of Labor witness testified."
She probably lived and ate very well. She wasn't abused or held in cage. Besides, she was ILLEGAL.
Will this send a message to other illegals to bring suit against employers? I'm sure the lawyers are out there searching!
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