Congressional Hispanic Caucus Leadership Calls on the FBI and DHS OIG to Investigate the Trump Organization’s Systemic Practice of Hiring Undocumented Workers

WASHINGTON—Congressional Hispanic Caucus Leadership called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the Trump Organization's practices of hiring and mistreatment of undocumented workers. This Hispanic Caucus request follows a meeting between Members and three former employees of the Trump Organization, whose employment was terminated earlier this year.

The letter was led by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and signed by Hispanic Caucus leadership members Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16).

"Many of the Trump Organization employees have stepped forward to recount how the Trump Organization setup a pipeline to systematically obtain cheap immigrant labor and hired undocumented immigrants. In fact, some of the undocumented workers have stated that the Trump Organization helped them procure the fraudulent documents. Further, many of these workers have described a hostile work environment, including a culture of coercion, mistreatment, and instances of physical abuse," the Members wrote. "We continue to hear that the number of formerly undocumented Trump Organization workers is higher than the 30 individuals reported and that many are too scared to step forward. This is clear evidence that the hiring of undocumented immigrants was not a one-time oversight but that this was done methodically and with a deliberate violation of the law. Nobody is above the law, including the President of the United States and his company."

Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.

Dear Acting Inspector General Kelly and Director Christopher Wray,

We write to you to request a thorough investigation into the disconcerting claims from former Trump Organization employees that the Trump Organization violated both civil and criminal law by recruiting, employing and exploiting undocumented workers. Further, it is critical that the victims and witnesses of the alleged criminal and civil violations be protected as material witnesses and victims. Any enforcement action by the Department of Homeland Security against these employees could be an obstruction of justice.

Many of the Trump Organization employees have stepped forward to recount how the Trump Organization setup a pipeline to systematically obtain cheap immigrant labor and hired undocumented immigrants. In fact, some of the undocumented workers have stated that the Trump Organization helped them procure the fraudulent documents. Further, many of these workers have described a hostile work environment, including a culture of coercion, mistreatment, and instances of physical abuse.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) met with several of these workers and their lawyer on March 7, 2019 and had an opportunity to directly ask questions to get more details about the allegations regarding the Trump Organization. We find it alarming that despite multiple news articles, reports, and statements by former workers, and even Congressional requests from Senator Menendez and Congressman Grijalva for an investigation there currently does not seem to be any criminal or civil investigations into the Trump Organization.

We continue to hear that the number of formerly undocumented Trump Organization workers is higher than the 30 individuals reported and that many are too scared to step forward. This is clear evidence that the hiring of undocumented immigrants was not a one-time oversight but that this was done methodically and with a deliberate violation of the law.

Nobody is above the law, including the President of the United States and his company. We respectfully ask that you conduct a thorough federal investigation into these dubious employment practices by the Trump Organization and also conduct an investigation into the apparent failure of the Department of Homeland Security to initiate an investigation into the Trump Organization.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this important request. If you have any further questions, please contact ­­­­­­­­­­­­CHC Executive Director Alma Acosta at alma.acosta@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.