I have known a few illegals. They were both visa overstays and asylum requests. It is fairly easy to get a fake social security number and fake identity. No way Trump would have known this. I would be for a national ID card - the SSN is ineffective -prosecuting or fining companies that hire illegals, a guest worker program so that workers can come here for part of the year then go home, revision of the asylum process. There is literally no political will to fix immigration, it is like healthcare -too big - our giant systems are failing us. Trump offered a wall for the dreamers, but turned down. No middle ground seems to be found. Not even a small one. We need term limits.
12
How is this a story? First of all the lady did indeed have papers, of the fraudulent variety. I don’t blame her for committing fraud, we’d all do a lot worse if we needed to, but the only revelation here is that Trump is actually a generous guy with low level employees. I could have seen him being a Scrooge.
18
Seems like maybe the Secret Service or FBI should have caught the fact that these women had fake documents. Do the people who clean the President's shorts and the makeup off his shirts not get vetted in some way? Sounds like a great opportunity for the Russian or Chinese spy agencies to exploit if they aren't.
24
To all those who comment on here, who think no one else can do her job: You should seriously consider: Who do you think worked these jobs before South American immigrants came? I have nothing against an immigrant who come here and want to try to make a better living. But please do not forget that thousands of poor Whites and poor African Americans truly built this country into what you see today. All these south American immigrants had no desire to come here then, in the 1900’s, when we had no heat and no affirmative action.
Many poor Whites and poor African Americans had to withstand harsh living conditions and worked with no modernized heat, for centuries, beginning in the 1600’s. All the while, South Americans had no desire to come here. They stayed in their very warm and heated countries. It was not until poor Whites and poor African Americans had built this country into what it is today, that they decided to come.
Today, there are thousands of Activists who will fight only, on the behalf of immigrants. While Whites, who have been denied jobs, due to Affirmative Action, receive no voice. Do not forget the many African Americans and Whites, who also came as immigrants, who had no affirmative action, no heat and no modern amenities.
Because poor White and African American men and women, are truly who made this country into what we see today. And if it were not for their sweat and tears, we would not have a modernized society today.
30
What a brave woman Ms. Morales is. Those of us lucky enough to be citizens do not have a clue as to what people go through in other parts of the world and what desperation looks like. We don't have a clue. It would be nice to be able to follow her story and see how she does. And for those who are indignant, our economy is humming along in large part due to people like Ms. Morales.
22
Ms. Morales is a brave woman with integrity, and the United States needs more citizens like her. Respect for her speaking out and sharing her truth and unique experiences in the face of possible consequences.
30
It would have been good if this would have been uncovered during the Donald's candidacy, but who am I kidding -- would it really have made a difference to the MAGA set?
18
This woman is incredibly brave.
25
I'm amazed at the number of commentators who are piling on this woman as though she had committed murder.
Immigration issues have always been complicated and hard to resolve.
All Trump and his GOP enablers have done recently is to raise the hysteria level so high that it's getting impossible to to have a calm, reasoned debate in the interest of making better policy.
But as long as you've made yourself feel better by having put this heinous housekeeper in her place, who cares?
26
@Larry
They are so angry at her, you'd think that she hadn't paid some taxes. She did. Trump's son-in-law, not so much.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2018/10/13/business/jared-kushner-taxes.amp.html
21
A follow up article notes that undocumented workers "are vital to industries such as agriculture, hospitality and construction."
They are also vital to many more industries, indeed the entire economy, because their work as domestic labor in private homes allows others, especially women, to work more productively in their own occupations.
21
The real hypocrisy: the Ds’ promise to its rank and file of 2 mutually exclusive propositions: open borders & an entitlement state where all needs are rights & all wants are free. (Utter nonsense. Just do the math.)
7
I do hope illegal immigrants who are solely economic migrants to the US like these workers get fired and deported. The US should not tolerate illegal immigrants to the US. Any immigrant who doesn't have legal paperwork should be deported. Wanting to make more money and wanting to have a better life are universal aspirations, and the US cannot be the employer for the entire world. Mexico has good jobs. Brazil has good jobs. Argentina has good jobs. The US doesn't have to take care of the entire world.
23
Mind boggling.
4
@Iris Ms. Morales, and any woman from Guatemala who is not very wealthy, is more than only an economic migrant. Violence against women in Guatemala is at epidemic levels, and has been extraordinarily high for decades.
17
I am absolutely NOT a supporter of Trump, and have been horrified on a daily basis about everything coming out of the WH during this administration -his tweets, his mockery of everyone and anyone. Having established that, I do feel this article shows a somewhat human side of DT; His large tips either show a true appreciation for hard work or a need to flaunt /promote his financial status. Either way, I would hope the fact that DT has a unique, first hand and up close look at how hard-working the vast majority of these folks are would give him the motivation to devise a plan to help them obtain legal status.
7
Thanks. I needed the laugh.
15
Problem: President Trump is cozily comfortable with his hypocrisy.
15
"Workers" who are here illegally should be ashamed of themselves. They seem to be flaunting the fact that they are admitted criminals and should be deported for breaking out country's immigration laws.
20
If anyone wanted to stop people coming to the US to work it could be done by fining or imprisoning criminal employers sufficiently to discourage them from hiring people not allowed to work. This is not done because the Keystone cops buffonery involving ICE is so much more profitable and creates a labor force without any rights or bargaining leverage.
22
I have worked in both Canada and Mexico. In both countries the employers were careful to check my work authorization for authenticity. Not in the USA. Here we leave it to the emploer to decide what is legal.
This system destroys worker rights, leads to the threats and abuse Ms. Morales documents, and perpetuates a modern slave mentality about the use and abuse of labor. It is in the interest of every worker to demand that E-Verify be required and employers hire US or apply for guest workers with whom they will have clear and enforceable contracts.
20
The wealthy people in this country get wealthy and stay wealthy in large part because of people like this woman who work long and hard doing jobs few people want for very little pay and no benefits.
Yet another inconvenient truth.
36
@Carmen and others -- undocumented immigrants use ITIN (taxpayer ID numbers) to pay taxes, as this woman appears to have done. I've worked with immigrants for over 30 years and 99.9% of my undocumented clients have paid their taxes regularly and correctly, the other .1% sporadically usually b/c of not understand the tax requirements -- when they do, they pay back taxes. Also the SSA has found that undocumented immigrants add $6-8 BILLION every YEAR to our Social Security fund -- which they are highly unlikely to ever benefit from. We citizens should be thanking them for not only contributing to our economy but keeping our Social Security system afloat for the rest of us.
29
OMG. How does one say this is Trumps fault. The persons identified herein knowingly & unlawfully committed fraud long before Trump became President. The NYT & the referenced Attorney were selfish in identifying this crime that sadly has been perpetrated millions of times by as many people. The alleged allegations herein only support the claim that our borders are weak & immigration policies a sham. The parties identified herein admit to defrauding the USA & therefore need to be deported, even the party that admitted she gained her legal residency after committing fraud. Those who aided in this article may live to regret participating with this article, an article that in my opinion was published with intent of hurting Trump when in fact it only shows Trump to be a more then generous & lawful employer long before his presidency. Keep America Great !
14
She sounds proud of breaking our laws. using phony papers to get work.
17
Such a hero....NOT! Just another foreign national amongst the millions just like her who feel entitled to cross our borders illegally and commit fraud. And now she wants to sue her employers? I’ve got a better idea: deportation.
23
Trump's decade-long record of hiring foreign guest workers - Business
https://money.cnn.com/2016/07/28/news/donald-trump-foreign-workers/index.html
Jul 28, 2016 - Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club and Jupiter Golf Club have applied to bring ... In total, records filed at the U.S. Department of Labor and reviewed by CNN ... been granted approval to import at least 1,256 foreign guest workers. ... explaining the club hired attractive foreigners for front-line positions, such as …
Trump has continued this practice in 2018. Trump H-2B guest workers: Trump wants more foreign workers at Mar ...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/9/.../trump-h-2b-guest-workers
Jul 9, 2018 - Trump's Mar-a-Lago wants to hire 61 foreign guest workers to cook and serve food through the H-2B visa program. ... The H-2B visa program, which several Trump golf clubs use.
America , you are better than the Trump-Kushner crime family ……….. aren`t you ?
11
I'm sure someone else must have pointed this out already, but where was the secret service in all this. Shouldn't they be doing their own background checks on the staff that attend to our President?
15
Isn’t Eric Trump assigned the responsibility for supervising the golf club/resort facilities for the Trump Organization? Query what he knows about the company’s illegal hiring practices at all of those properties, including Bedminster. I would think that this huge, breaking scandal is one more to put on the list for proper Investigation by the House next year. Let the subpoenas fly!
11
As an employer who kept what I believed were scrupulous I-9's, including those of both native born Americans (in one example a person born in Puerto Rico ) and in at least one other case an immigrant that became a naturalized American, an audit of our I-9's by our payroll company yield errors that could potentially add up to thousands in fines. Several of the errors included rejection of documents including original birth certificates, a US passport and a completely legally issued driver's license, all considered forms of "proof". In fact we quickly determined that e-verify would have rejected all but 2 of our 1-9s setting off a scramble for paper work that in some cases is simply not available, leaving us no choice but to terminate employees who in at least one case had been working for us for over two decades. In our field there is no such thing as 'cheap labor' and qualified skilled American workers are as rare as hounds teeth. But that is not the problem. We have a completely broken immigration system. And making hard-working-law-abiding- American employers criminal is not the solution. The criminals here are not the hard working people from all over the world who make it possible for employers like me to run our businesses either, its political leaders to cowardly to fix what needs fixing.
18
I am a little confused why Ms. Morales continued to work for the golf course for so long. No one was forcing her to stay.
From the pictures, it seems to be a beautiful place. Perhaps wealthy people leave valuable tips in the little envelopes for maid service that always seem to be available in guest rooms. Are these tips declared as income for IRS purposes?
Perhaps staff receive some benefits, paid time off, bonuses, etc?
I just get the feeling that the whole story hasn’t been shared.
23
@Healthsense - I'm guessing you have no idea what it's like to live in poverty.
15
@DR
How do you know ? She works illegally for the rich ?
2
She’s got chutzpah, illegal enter a country to take a job away from an America; commit multiple felonies including identity theft and obtaining and uttering false documents; continue to commit multiple felonies for years to illegally remain in our country - then complain the elected president responsible for enforcing our laws speaks harshly about her criminal conduct.
Take your bad attitude to your own country, or commit your crimes in some other country that needs more criminals.
23
Thank goodness this illegality has been revealed.
Now we can all agree to immediately deport her and all illegal aliens. With all this furor about the need to enforce the laws of our land (Mueller has been at it for years), there can’t be any arguments.
16
@John
Where's your argument concerning - there is no law applying to employers?
When Reagan signed the 1986 Amnesty, he protected the coming generations of employers.
"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) preempts any state or local law from imposing civil or criminal sanctions... Citation: 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/state-e-verify-action.aspx
4
@John Nah. I'm going to call it "Locker room talk" and put her either on the Supreme Court or in the Oval Office.
8
People who enter the country this way are largely desperate. They are poor and vulnerable. It is the Trump organization at fault here, they are responsible for who they hire. They are neither poor, nor vulnerable. Is it really that difficult to verify that a person can legally work for you, for such a wealthy organization? No it is not.
But, clearly so many organizations in this country do indeed hire undocumented immigrants, knowingly. The enforcement of these labor laws must hold the employer responsible, they have all the power.
11
Why is this even a story?
Why do we demonize undocumented workers and still give them work?
We need a simple law: HIRE AN UNDOCUMENTED WORKER, GO TO JAIL AND PAY MASSIVE FINES. Not just hiring managers, either; C-suite employees on down. If there's a undocumented worker found at a 7-11, the CEO of 7-11 should go to jail after paying a $1,000,000 fine per undocumented employee.
Like many American problems, we could solve this in five minutes. And like many American problems, that means we'll do nothing instead for the next 50 years.
P.S. If you really wanted to see America's economy explode, combine this law with Universal health Care. Wages will have to be kept to a standard Americans can and will accept, and people who don't need to stay at bad jobs solely for healthcare will become now-liberated entrepreneurs.
13
I don't know what is more disturbing, 1. the arrogance of this woman who not only neglects to apologize to Americans for breaking our laws but has such an appalling sense of entitlement that she paints herself as a victim; or 2. The disingenuous attitude of the New York Times which, in its glee at embarrassing Trump, paints a cartoon picture of her story -- as ordered up by her lawyer.
Either way, I assume the laws of the land are still in force, and this repeat offender who has stolen from American taxpayers while leeching off our country's largess will soon be deported.
First, she should be fined for stealing a social security number and a search should be done to determine where she stole from the Food Stamps program or other social services. I'd guess the answer is yes, since studies show that illegals sign up for SNAP more than twice as frequently, on a percentage basis, as citizens.
79
@Philboyd Happy to help. More disturbing than either of those two things is 1) an American president who was heard admitting to serial sexual assault; 2) Americans who brushed it off as "locker room talk" while calling his accusers ugly liars; 3) a US President who had to pay $25 million to settle a suit for fraud, having defrauded Americans out of their money via a scam university; 4) Americans who voted for a man who defrauded American citizens; 5) A US President whose character is such that he mocked a disabled person, attacked a couple who lost their son in war, and who suggested that US soldiers who are captured, tortured, and held prisoner for five years are losers; 6) Americans who voted for him despite all of that; 6) a president who rails and rages against undocumented immigrants "taking jobs away from Americans" while hiring them himself; 7) the stupidity of Americans who vote for a man who does that....And Phil? These two women have taken NO money from you or anyone else, unlike Donald Trump. They earn theirs. Now, run along and fill out your job application to clean other people's toilets and iron their towels. Go grab that job before an undocumented worker takes it from you!
214
@Virginia; Well done!
You left out only one thing:
What's worse than a desperate person taking a menial job for minimum wage? A group of supervisors and managers who show her how to get phony documents so she can take the job while they show the boss (what's his name again?) a better profit margin.
Oh, and Philboyd: She didn't "steal" a social security number. She stole nothing.
125
Had these women been employed by, say, Hillary Clinton, and the story presented by Fox News, would your comments be the same?
103
All this article proves is that the mass immigration rigged by our 1%, that the people in this country "never asked for", has created a moral horror of an American slave-wage class many 10's of millions strong that has transferred wealth from the middle and working classes to the 1-10%. These slaves were not originally 'needed', but once some businesses in an industry start using slave immigrant labor then the rest of those businesses must also or go bankrupt. That's why Trump's hotels have illegals too! AND, this is the most important point, BOTH democratic and republican party establishments collude to create slave wage plantations all over this nation. The republicans while pretending to want to stop invaders on the southern border are trying to sneak through doubling of special visas for temporary workers that kill wages for Americans in the few good jobs that are left. While the democrats destroy the working and middle classes intentionally via open borders because they want more desperate voters whose votes can be bought with just enough social services crumbs to keep them alive. Meanwhile countries of origin are brain drained of the people who would cause progressive change and so 3rd world dictators and oligarchs get to stay in power. The present 1% engineered global "culture of emigration" is a disaster for the common people and must end. The following article is an excellent summary https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2018/11/the-left-case-against-open-borders/
7
Great post !
2
@winthrop staples, sadly, this is exactly correct. Since African-American Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan passed away in early 1996 and could no longer hold President Clinton to his promises; and California Governor Pete Wilson did not gain traction in the 1996 GOP Presidential primaries (and no longer posed a threat to Clinton & Democrats losing California), it has mostly been a bipartisan race to the bottom in terms of which party can do more to undermine the bottom 90% of US citizens by importing the most cheap labor from abroad. The top 10% that generally control both parties has no doubt benefited spectacularly by pocketing the income gains that otherwise would have gone to US citizens. Outsourcing of labor; insourcing of labor; H1B-visa abuse, mandating US citizen employees train their foreign replacements and then be fired; etc.
Until Trump's election, both parties had totally abandoned the Jordan Commission recommendations of President Clinton's first term. Now, in a total flip-flop of the parties, the majority of Republicans ironically embrace these recommendations, and the Democrats and minority of Republicans, led by outgoing House speaker Paul Ryan, remain completely subservient to the Koch Brothers and Chamber of Commerce/ALEC crew.
6
Trump could stop illegal immigration today if he wanted to. He could make the use of E-Verify mandatory for all employers-no matter how large or small. Even single households looking for someone to cut the grass or babysit. E-verify electronically matches information on Form I-9 against records at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Employers know in seconds if a person is eligible to work in the US. Trump doesn't make the system mandatory because (1) he wants to continue to use illegal immigrants as political bait for his hate-filled "base" and (2) because he allows illegal workers to be employed at his businesses. End employment of illegal workers. Make E-verify mandatory for every person who hires another person for any purpose. Overnight, millions of people will disappear from the U.S., like an episode of "The Leftovers."
6
@Ms. Pea, Trump has repeatedly supported legislation to make E-Verify mandatory, including the Goodlatte Bill in Congress last spring; and the bill sponsored by Senator Grassley in the US Senate (who had the courage to go up against his own state's farming interests by introducing this bill).
Trump is not the opposition to making E-verify mandatory. Unfortunately, it is now the Democrats and a minority of Republicans, such as outgoing House speaker Paul Ryan. Strange but true that the Democrats have now joined with this segment of the GOP in complete subservience to the Koch Brothers and Chamber of Commerce/ALEC crew, as well as their campaign donors in big tech, who want no real reform to immigration.
7
Don't swallow this employer's hypocrisy; Trump is certainly no virgin, not with tens of thousands of employees, many of whom are in the exact jobs that undocumented immigrants fill.
Of course, the Trump Organization was aware Ms Morales' SSN was false. It is complicit in (and a beneficiary of) her "heinous" crime of paying taxes on the money she earned for cleaning up after the guests and owners who partake of the club's luxuries. As employer, the club has received at least two, if not three, inquiries from the Social Security Administration and one or two inquiries from Internal Revenue Service in the five years since she started working for him.
1. What did the employer do to confirm the number and name on her W2?
2. Are the President's organization somehow immune from ICE raids?
9
Beneath the veneer of exclusivity and elegance, nothing but ego and endless vulgarities ….
8
I am really appalled to find that many people commenting here blame Ms. Morales, not the Trump Organization. They should know that employing an illegal alien is a Federal crime punishable with fine and imprisonment. Verification and determination of an employee’s legal status is th responsibility of the employer alone. The Trump Organization, and by supposition Trump himself, are violating a federal law.
12
Good grief. She had enough money to ride a bus to the border, and enough wherewithall to cross it. Then she still had enough money to fly all the way across the country to be with her husband in NJ (article doesn't mention his immigration status for some reason). And then she still has enough change to pay for these fake papers. (Well, the first set anyway...not sure why she couldn't pay for the second set after getting the job at the golf club that paid more than her previous one.) Why does she even need a job with all this access to cash?
Then Trump gets elected president and all of a sudden, she is compelled to unburden herself from her deceitful ways, come clean, and run to the NYT to confess her sins? COME ON! Has it really taken the NYT 2 years to "uncover" this crime against humanity?
As the article states, there are MILLIONS of undocumented immigrants working in this country. By singling out (& probably paying for) Morales the NYT is only pouring fuel on the fire that is his base. He is horrible in so many other ways. Don't nit-pick like this. It's unbecoming and it is not helping.
We know that Trump is clueless. Why would we assume that he has a clue about the housekeeping staff at all of his properties? Or any of his properties, for that matter? Sure, OK, it does seem hypocritical hiring, but riddle me this: did any DOCUMENTED immigrants, or any American citizens apply for these jobs?
7
More of the "do as I say, not as I do" lies and hypocrisy from the Trump administration. Must be Friday....
6
For those who comment here, blaming immigrants for taking jobs away from Americans who could otherwise be doing her job: where are those hardworking Americans who will work in her stead? If I were jobless and living in Poverty's house - I would walk (nay, run) down to the nearest hotel and apply for a job. I can clean toilets and change sheets. I can vacuum and do laundry. I can hang towels and lay out toiletries for our guests. I can smile and say "good morning". If I couldn't do any of those things I would learn how to do those things.
When Ms. Morales applied for the job, she was working the next day. $10.00 an hour. I would be thrilled with the possibility of making $10.00 per hour rather than making $0.00 per hour and grousing about other people taking jobs away from the likes of me.
To our jobless Americans who live in Poverty's house - Cry no more. Fret no more. Pine for a job no more. Worry about feeding your children or spouse or parents or friends no more. Go get 'em. Do whatever you need to do to find a job. Cleaning someone else's toilet and hanging fresh towels is a gig I would not turn down. If I am jobless and living in Poverty's house.
12
I’m sorry but I was a housekeeper and the only people I saw working with me was Hispanics and blacks. There were no white people working in housekeeping. So tell me where are the other races that want to work in these industries...
11
What an incredible woman. After all Victorina Morales went through, to have the courage to tell her truth and to speak out against the injustice and hypocrisy is awe inspiring. Towering integrity and strength of spirit. May Ms. Morales go from strength to strength and find all the support she needs.
15
While Ms. Morales should be lauded for coming forward, there will be truly tragic consequences which others will also bear. No doubt, the improperly documented workers remaining at the property will now be fired - and, worse yet, arrested and deported when the inevitable ICE or labor authorities descend upon them.
While I am grateful for the great journalism, this tragedy is just beginning.
10
What a wonderful job submitting this article. What was the real purpose; to show the world that POTUS has undocumented workers at his businesses. I was expecting maybe 3-4 paragraphs. But holy cow you must have spend weeks compiling all this information. What a waste of resources.
7
I think it is more about the hypocrisy of our current administration. And that if we do not consistently as continually shine a light on these practices, nothing will change. To quote a late night comedian “Trump wants to build his wall, but with a service entrance”
4
And when Trump built his gambling palaces in NJ he also did that with the labor of, among others, undocumented Polish workers. It should be no surprise to anyone that Donald Trump is a shameless hypocrite.
7
She traveled 6 weeks by bus and on foot to get a job cleaning toilets. No wonder republicans fear her. That kind of work ethic is frightening! I'd rather have ten people like her living and working near me than a single trump voter.
Unlike the crimes of iDJT and his ilk, her only "crime" is not having the correct paperwork to live and work here. Illegal? Yes but, dangerous? No. Not even close.
20
Deport her.
8
These are the 'some, I assume, are good people.' And somehow, I assume, I've fallen into a bizarre alternative universe.
1
And now her celebrity will give her a leg up in an asylum request. The companion article to this one spells it all out.
The article also shows another way to push to the front of the asylum line: claim your employer got you fake credentials and then your a whistle blower who has automatic protection under federal law. Frankly, the employer should be prosecuted because its illegal and I'm sure this matter won't be dropped anytime soon.
That said, who believes that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have been privy to whether illegals were hired or not? Employee hiring is below his pay grade. His only rule was likely "maximize profits" and the managers were left to figure out how. This is no different than members of Congress who have had undocumented nannies and housekeepers.
10
As the President has said himself on numerous occasions, and like many other wealthy Americans and US large and small businesses, will game the system for as much as and for as long as they can.
Why as a nation do we reward this bad behavior? Sneaking into the country is a crime. Hiring illegal labor is a crime. Once again, both parties have failed the American people as they continue to badly manage a broken immigration system.
Question to the NYT: Has the NYT verified the legal status of those who clean their offices?
9
Happy ending to the story would be if Mr Trump granted her citizenship as a xmass present, and made her head of house keeping. That would be amazing.
As to all commenters complaining and asking for jail time for Trump, this is why his company is already exonerated:
‘…to the horse country of New Jersey, where she was hired at the Trump property in 2013 with documents she said were phony’.
At the time she was hired she had papers. If they were false, then they are not liable, as they did not commit fraud.
So let it go, this is not your cause celebre. Maybe a tini fine for not doing due diligence at the time a housekeeper was hired, but even then the papers might have pointed to some one legally here, and they are still guilt free.
So how about it? Citizenship for xmass and a happy ending
Because the Liberal happy ending of Trump in jail for this is never going to happen.
Also kind reminder, Obama also hired illegals, that scandal was swept under the carpet quite quickly I must add.
3
@AutumnLeafObama hired illegals? This is the first time I am hearing this. Where did you hear this, on alex jones info wars? Show me proof of this?
2
When I first moved near the Trump golf course property, I heard a story that a home on the property was part of the underground railroad. It seems Mr. Trump has carried on the tradition. How ironic.
4
Republicans have something Democrats don't have. They just brazen problems out and get away with it.
Add to that, what is Fox News saying? Probably nothing. Won't come up as a topic.
I wouldn't be surprised if a month of now, this is forgotten with no consequences paid.
2
I don’t know why the article gives the Trump Organization plausible deniability, when 2 Supervisors allegedly knew it was standard practice. Need to investigate the hypocritical Trump Organization for the illegal hiring & have ICE raid the golf course.
3
Trump's employment of illegal immigrants is (and has been) an open secret in New Jersey since he first set foot there, as are his shady business deals, his ripping off of laborers and contractors, and his gilded but unfulfilled promises.
I guess it must be hard to get a face and name to go on record against the president-- I guess this is why we haven't heard more about specific instances in the mainstream press? Poor Ms. Morales will undoubtedly be crucified, but maybe a right-wing crucifixion beats cleaning Trump's toilet and scrubbing his collars?
Trump is all about winning, all about profit. He'll use illegal immigrants to earn a profit, and then rant against illegal immigrants to win elections and feed his ego with rally cheers. The issues themselves mean nothing to him. He's simply a con man, albeit an absolutely brilliant con man, and anyone who hasn't woken up to this yet is deliberately keeping their blinders on.
2
Several years ago, here in Boston, we had 'The Upper Crust' pizza joint that was hiring Brazillian illegals to work the ovens. They reneged on paying overtime, were taken to court, and forced to make large compensatory payments. They subsequently garnished those workers' wages, this another lawsuit. Rather than paying them back, they went bankrupt. The problem of shielded undocumented workers is much bigger than Trump.
3
Using Ms. Morales as an example, how do you educate Trump's base on what a hypocrite their President is? How do you get the word out on this story?
4
I wonder how many NYT employees and rich NYC liberals are on speaking terms with doormen, custodial staff and others in their buildings. I guess the Times and others believe it’s appropriate to see a low paid Hispanic looking employee and investigate their status as citizen or not. It’s simply dumb to expect Donald Trump or the leftist heads of Google, Apple or Facebook to be familiar with such things
7
@ehillesum, I guess the difference is that for years Donald Trump has been shooting his mouth off about the dangerous illegals invading our country, and how it is all the Democrats’ fault.
3
@ehillesumOne big difference, Liberals and Dems are not calling for them to be kicked to the curb and sent back to their countries of origin like Trump is. Don't say one thing and practice another.
3
While it was interesting to read Ms. Morales's story, the real news to me is in the comments section: I'm surprised how many people are surprised. Isn't "Don't ask, don't tell," pretty much the unspoken employment policy of the entire hotel industry and various other service industries in America? If Trump were running the one resort where all the housekeepers were documented, *that* would be news!
8
The associated piece's headline poses the question "What price will this woman pay for speaking out against Trump?" Wrong question, but not surprising considering the source.
The pertinent question is "What price will this woman pay for breaking our laws, and continually lying about it for many years."
The only correct answer is "What our laws prescribe for scofflaws like her." The "price" should be what our government decided the price would be. The price that was voted upon, and passed into law as THE PRICE.
Enough looking the other way. The left loves to reward criminality with their bleeding hearts. Enough already...
14
It’s amazing to me the feigned ignorance of so many here. I thought it to be common knowledge that much of our economic system relies on workers like this one. From landscaping to restaurants and certainly agriculture. It has been discussed openly for years and only until the right needed a convenient boogie man to rile up the base, it was left alone. I love the righteous indignation in some of the posts here; have you vetted your lawn care or housekeeping help? Hypocrisy is becoming the order of the day in America.
265
@kmk She shouldn't have to pay any price. Trump can't sue her because she is about the only woman who has been in his bed and hasn't had to sign an NDA.
8
To Tim Rutledge. You should seriously consider: Who do think worked these jobs before South American immigrants came? I have nothing against any South American who come here and want to try to make a better living. But please do not forget that thousands of poor Whites and poor African Americans built, yes, truly built this country into what you see today. Millions of South Americans had no desire to come here then, many decades ago, in the early 1900’s when there was no electricity. Many poor Whites and poor African Americans had to withstand harsh living conditions and work with no modernized heat, for centuries. All the while, South Americans had no desire to come here and remained in their very, warm countries.
Today, there are thousands of Activists who will only fight on the behalf of immigrants. while Whites, who have been denied jobs, due to Affirmative Action, receive no voice. The plight of African Americans, are not either heard.
I therefore question how you truly look at how our society has changed. Do not forget the many African Americans and Whites, who also came as immigrants, but had no affirmative action and no heat. But these are the men and women who made this country into this modernized society that you see today.
4
I wish them the best of luck! It's not an easy situation!
Well of course he hired undocumented workers. Because he knew he could pay them mere pennies.
4
@Lisa
Did you read the article?
The workers used fake documents. The HR department evidently does not have a verification process to authenticate documents. Blame Congress for allowing employers to do this and for failing to posecute individuals who prepare or utilize false documents.
Your implication that Trump personally hired these illegal immigrants and "paid them mere pennies" is absurd.
8
I've been troubled by this article all day and believe that the Times owes its readers an explanation for why it was willing to put Ms. Morales at risk by publishing this story. What is going to happen to her now?
5
@Nancy White, I agree. I don’t really understand the point of it. Everyone knows Trump is a hypocrite anyway. We did not need this expose to tell us that. I am concerned about all of the other undocumented workers in the Trump Organization who valued their jobs too much to come forward. Will there be witch hunt to root them all out and deport them?
2
Er-ma-gerd! Republicans being untruthful!?! Shouting at the top of their lungs about something, and then doing they exact opposite behind the scenes!?! Stepping on the backs of less fortunate people to boost their standing!?!
I am shocked! This is a totally new development that really changes how I view the GOP! I thought they were the party of law and order and family values, as well as having God on their side!
I'm soooooo disenchanted now!
3
Recognizing that many of you read the headline and then came straight to the comments, here's all you need to know (from a follow-up story today):
“This is a five-foot Guatemalan woman who stood up to the most powerful man in the world,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a national immigration advocacy group. “She exposed the hypocrisy of a president who rails against undocumented workers and then has what appears to be a criminal operation to do that at Bedminster.”
4
One thing the illegal immigrant issue has brought out is 1) how phony the Republican/conservative "Christian values/Godless liberals!" screech was; 2) how quickly they dropped it when it began backfiring on them and they preferred to just be open with their decidedly unChristian hate, lack of empathy for other human beings, and of course, Donald Trump. But just as with Trump, the question always was, "Who is stupid enough to buy this malarky?"
1
Want to see more Trumpian hypocrisy? Put an article next to this one saying the Obamas and/or Clintons had undocumented household help. Think the conservative Christians (allegedly) here trashing a powerless, poor woman who escaped domestic violence and calling her a criminal in order to defend the criminal Donald Trump, whose criminality they don't seem to mind a bit, among other gross things, will write comments declaring no empathy for this criminal and never, ever mentioning the Obamas or Clintons? We all know the answer.
2
Is it not possible to report on any subject without making it a morality play?
We already know enough about DJT's dirty laundry without white boxer shorts details. Sadly, the real story behind Ms. Morales/Diaz's move to out their employer as an immigration hypocrite will never be told. Heads will roll at the Trump org, but what does this prove?
In the NYT's continuing love affair with tabloid grade drama to the detriment of investigative reporting/thoughtful analysis, these two women have been pushed onto a dangerous pedestal. An opportunity to throw light onto the actual, complicated facts of their stories and the critical, perplexing issues of immigration are denied us mere readers/voters once again. Here's what I'd really like to know:
1. What are the real motivations causing Morales/Diaz to give up relatively cushy & secure jobs?
2. When NYT conducted hours of interviews in Spanish, were the ladies' lawyers already engaged, or did that come as a result? What are they expecting to gain?
3. Somebody has to make beds, iron shorts (I suppose!) and yes, even scrub (horrors!) toilets. Note: most of us females, lacking resident spinsters/maids, do this for ourselves, in our homes. I've also worked as a maid, doing this for others. It's not that onerous a task, just hard work, low pay. Very little drama about it, except in the black and white nether world of NYT villians/heroes.
Please, more meat and a little less fluff ? Dig harder, report facts, not fairy tales.
11
What would Trump and Fox and Limbaugh be saying if this had been the Clintons.
OMG!
5
NYT, please keep us informed of the future status of these brave souls.
5
Like we didn’t already know Trump hired lots of illegal immigrants. Hypocrite should be his middle name.
5
Since Victorina Morales, Sandra Diaz, and possibly others linked to them have stuck their necks out to assist the NYT - I certainly hope that the NYT will reciprocate and provide assistance, if necessary, against any eventual retaliation.
The sustained abuse of the Western Hemisphere's original human population in the form of classifying economic and political asylum migrants as "illegals" has no parallel outside of the Nazi treatment of Jews and other targeted populations during the period of the Third Reich.
Native American horticulturalists gave the world most of its important food crops (measured by dollar value and tonnage) including virtually the entire Thanksgiving dinner. Ninety per cent or more of the world's cotton comes from a species first cultivated thousands of years ago in the highlands of Mexico.
A people who were subject to the most brutal extermination campaign in history are denounced as "rapists" and worse. The victim is continuously portrayed as perpetrator. And the people with the loudest voices of condemnation claim the title of... followers of Christ. What contemptible hypocrites!
2
@Robert
Agree with protecting these people who came forward from the Trump Organization and outed Donald J Trump for being a shameless hypocrite who demonized the desperate or longing peoples who have been exploited over the entire American history by Trump's kind.
Those inflamers of hate are happy to ignore their complicity, if it's good for business. And profiting from official positions gained by driving nativist votes - well, they just deny the conflict of interest. As do their loyalists.
1
So, what else is new?
2
Like the Governor-nator is the President-nator.
1
She knowingly crossed the border illegally, the sought out and purchased phony documents. But she’s the hero in this story? And Trump is the villain?
The knee-jerk hatred of all things Trump has warped the priorities of the NYT’s journalism... and the perspective of many of its readers.
15
On the contrary. It points out the disdainful hypocrisy of Trump and the Trump empire. Did they truly figure, or just not care, that people might object to company hiring undocumented Polish labourers on one building project (and treating them reprehensiby) and undocumented Latino workers at another, all while decrying immigrants, legal and undocumented, as taking away jobs from Americans.
That's the hypocrisy we all noticed.
3
@Chris
Deporting someone who's been here 19 years and committed only one crime benefits whom?
Ms. Morales is neither my hero, nor my whipping boy. Now, she is a human pawn. We can choose to punish or forgive, but we cannot pretend we don't understand. Putting her on a pedestal or kicking her out of the country benefits no one; it just fuels the divide.
Maybe there should be a statute of limitations on long past illegal border crossings - declare amnesty and expedite legal processing for those who have worked here for >5 years, paid taxes and not committed any other crimes. I feel they have proven themselves worthy/earned the right to live here, and should be decriminalized, why not? We're comfortable throwing other nonviolent criminals out of their cells onto the streets, with much more probable risk to the public. Then, going forth, no more Mr. Nice Guy.
We gotta start somewhere, instead of expending resources to seek out & destroy, couldn't we admit our own past complicity and deal with current issues going forward? We'd better do it fast; more are on the way. The US needs more maids/gardeners than STEM geniuses.We're not growing our own of either one.
We can't afford to be the morality police;but we could decide to be both practical and humane.
1
There are lots of beds for her to make in Guatemala.
6
I can only wonder what it would be like if Hillary had won. Grand juries, subpoenas, special counsel. Sound familiar, this country is in the throes of eating itself alive. We just buried the last great statesman the rest are products of the reality TV that so many Americans enjoy. What a sad state of affairs.
3
I’ll happily pay higher taxes to deport these criminals. The increase in wages caused by the absence of illegal aliens taking American jobs will more than pay me back.
5
If Morales is not picked up and deported immediately by ICE, the entire operation is a joke. Illegal entry, stolen social security information, and 20 years of illegal residency should force ICE to take action. I hope the news agencies will follow this story and report what happens, including who paid her to step forward and put herself in legal jeopardy. She isn't a DACA or amnesty candidate and has no right to be here. We need immigrants, but not this kind.
12
@Daphne
We need laws against employers, not this kind:
When Reagan signed the 1986 Amnesty, he protected the coming generations of employers.
"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) preempts any state or local law from imposing civil or criminal sanctions... Citation: 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/state-e-verify-action.aspx
3
You mean the immigrants that work at the chicken farms and plants in Petaluma? The immigrants that likely work at Clover dairy in Petaluma? The immmigrants that pick grapes at wineries or work the ranches in Sonoma.
Get off your high horse Daphne. You know the agricultural business in Sonoma is full of illegal immigrants.
11
She will be killed if she is deported. She deserves amnesty and her employer, Trump, should be held accountable for illegal employment practices and trafficking.
6
It is important to remember that it was President Reagan who gave an amnesty to millions of illegal workers in California. People who work for low pay and destroy labor unions are much loved and quietly protected by the GOP. Remember this while you listen to the anti migrant rhetoric that is flung about during reelection campaigns.
6
WHY DID Me morales wait so long to apply for
asylum? her father in law died 5 years ago. It sure seems like she is running a ruse using her on aur interview to claim now she is a public person. I hope no one buys this.
9
A housekeeper without papers is a housekeeper no more.
5
The Trump hypocrisy is bottomless.
6
This woman is nothing but a thief and a liar, and she has broken multiple U.S. laws. As usual, The Times and hand wringing comments here depict this criminal as a poor, helpless immigrant being mistreated by her American employer. Meanwhile, what has she done to cement her status in America after 20 years? Has she applied for a legal green card and citizenship? No. Has she learned to speak English? No. Has she apologized for breaking the laws of the Untied States which has been so good to her? No. I have no pity whatsoever for illegal immigrants who use the lax American justice system and abuse the misplaced pity of those on the left for their own personal gain.
79
I think you miss the point. First, industries like hospitality have always relied on undocumented workers to provide low cost labor, we just don’t like to talk about. Second, she has come forward at great risk to herself; she will certainly be fired and, most likely, be deported. She states she disclosed her status at the time she was hired and was told it didn’t matter. Meanwhile, Trump is stating that his company has never employed a single undocumented worker, persecuted those seeking asylum, while exploiting the very same. I think this just provides another stark example of how morally bankrupt trump is.
132
@paul
The "thief and liar" who has broken "multiple US laws" would be Donald Trump who has not and will not ever apologize to the United States.
Ms. Morales paid taxes. Trump? We'll see.
133
@paul
And what of their employers? Any pity? Any ire reserved for employers who use the lax American justice system and abuse the misplaced pity of those on the right for their own personal gain?
72
If either political party was serious about addressing illegal immigration…they would be going after American employers first and foremost. Employers should be required to verify that documents are authentic. Failure to do so should result in criminal prosecution.
Second, our political leaders (if they were serious) would make it a felony for anyone who prepares or uses false documents for any purpose. The current penalty is absurd:
“With respect to a violation of subsection (a), the order under this subsection shall require the person or entity to cease and desist from such violations and to pay a civil penalty in an amount of not less than $250 and not more than $2,000 for each document that is the subject of a violation”
https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-8916.html
The solution is simple: Create the environment where it is nearly impossible to get hired illegally or to obtain illegal documents. This type of environment would do far more than any “border wall”.
But our leaders don’t want to solve the problem.
9
So many people in this country work hard for so little money. And the ingrained racism of the GOP disgusts me. We've got in this State hundreds of thousands of people who pick crops 1`2 hours a day so that YOU can pay very little for tomatoes, avocados and lettuce.
Yet they are hated by many, mostly to keep their wages low.
Sickening this hypocrisy.
11
These are hard working people, Trump has created a bad image of them to the Nation. Yes many enter the country illegal
that is wrong and that needs to be addressed, but demonizing people who just want to work is equally wrong. In my 21 years representing Service workers majority are immigrants, who are good people. They work and put their children through college. I lost count of how many of these children have become Doctors, Lawyers and other Professionals. So lets stop demonizing these people and find a comprehensible solution.
7
But Frank, right now tget are all claiming amnesty, when in reality, they've been coached to say that. Being an economic refugee, which I can understand, does not get them into the US legally. Claiming refugee status when all you want is a better job, takes away from the refugees fleeing for their lives.
7
What proof do you have that they've been coached to apply for amnesty?
People fleeing for their lives may be admitted as either refugees or asylees, depending on circumstances. Under both US and international law, we are REQUIRED to accept into the country those who are applying for amnesty while we investigate their claims. Those who have come prior to this administration were interviewed to see if they met the basic requirements. If not, they would be deported. If so, they would be given an ankle monitor and a date to return while the claims are being investigated. The return rate of those in the program? 99%. It worked then, and it will work now.
“We are tired of the abuse, the insults, the way he talks about us when he knows that we are here helping him make money,” she said. “We sweat it out to attend to his every need and have to put up with his humiliation.”
Sounds like a good basis for asylum in Honduras.
11
I am surprised at all the negative comments toward Victorina. Yes, she's here illegally as are millions of others. But why is she villified? She's a hard working woman, like the millions of others. She has dreams and wanted to flee oppression and violence, like millions of others. Not a new story, and we want to pillory her? Trump is the biggest hypocrite who ever lived. He got rich off the backs of these people. He knows he can't function without them.
21
@JulieB She’s a criminal. In addition to immigration law, she has violated our tax code and probably committed identity theft.
13
Your so-called “president” is the criminal, Jack.
12
@JulieB
She is vilified because she an easy target, plus she works for a living and is evidently quite hard working. In my experience, most people are intimidated at a deep unconscious level by people who come here and work for low wages. It implies a level of industriousness they have yet to attain, and are unlikely to attain.
Also, you get excessively legalistic people who just lose it at the idea of illegality (although they themselves may not really follow the law.) There is a bit of psychological projection there.
5
Which workers do you think have increased our "president's" wealth more, the hundreds of undocumented who maintain his resorts, or the likes of Julian Assange, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Maria Butina, Michael Flynn, et al?
7
"Ms. Morales and Ms. Diaz approached The New York Times through their New Jersey lawyer, Anibal Romero, who is representing them on immigration matters. Ms. Morales said that she understood she could be fired or deported as a result of coming forward, though she has applied for protection under the asylum laws. She is also exploring a lawsuit claiming workplace abuse and discrimination."
I hope she would be fired and eventually deported when her phony asylum claim is rejected. There is no reason she should reside in this country.
18
@tao46
I hope that people didn't say similar heartless things about YOUR ancestors when they first arrived in this country (assuming that you're not Native American).
6
@tao46
When Reagan signed the 1986 Amnesty, he protected the coming generations of employers.
"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) preempts any state or local law from imposing civil or criminal sanctions... Citation: 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/state-e-verify-action.aspx
There's your reason.
1
WHY didn't Me Morales apply for asylum 5 years ago when her father in law died? It just seems self serving now -- She can use the immigration laws and lo, she is now a public person after all those tv interviews. It is the lawyers who should be arrested.
5
cheap shot just like him - congrats!
2
Can anyone say hypocrit with a capital DJT?
5
Oh, poor people who break the law. No sympathy here.
9
Conservatives have more than once accused me of “trashing the president,” even when I say something true, like “Trump will probably revoke the National Monument status of that place.” So, if I spread the word that Trump is a hypocrite, which this story makes abundantly clear, is that “trashing the president”? I don’t think it is, as the Times, while having a liberal editorial department, generally does not report “fake news.” It doesn’t faze Trump’s base though, for they have drunk deep of the Kool-Aid of delusion.
6
For so many Trumpies, illegals is the biggest issue. I am so curious to know what lame excuse they will conjure up for continuing to support him if they do continue to support him.
2
@Kim: Because Trump did not knowingly employ an illegal alien. She submitted a fraudulent documents posing as eligible to work. That's a crime.
8
@johnlo - You might want to take a look at Trump's fraudulent university, his failure to pay his contractors, oh yeah and the little matter of treason.
1
While we are on this subject, somebody please remind me again how Melania got into this country.
20
She married an American. Is there a problem with that?
1
@BorisRoberts - You might want to read this:
https://www.newsweek.com/melania-trump-genius-visa-einstein-826431
1
Jeez, what a snooze. So what? She gave false documents and got hired. Company does due diligence ..papers are probably someone else 's and she is hired. Why is this news? She is still breaking the law and I hope she is now fired.
11
@channa
Her employer also broke the law twice: 1) They didn't actually do "due diligence" when they hired her (by not using E-Verify); and 2) They provided her help in obtaining a second set of fake documents.
Thus, Trump's company also broke the law. He should be fired too.
10
Where's Fox News?...crickets
5
To those heartless, hypocrite commenters here who put all the blame on Ms. Morales, if a CEO of a corporation had one of their managers fill a position through their HR department by hiring an undocumented immigrant, and that was later brought to light by other employees at the company, immigration officials, the media, etc., the CEO is ultimately responsible.
And when that CEO feigns ignorance- “How could I have known? I am running a large company. I don’t have time to know everyone one we hire,” the commenters here would say “They're the CEO and they should have known. They should take the time to find out who they are hiring. And if they don't then the managers should know and should tell the CEO. Can't the CEO control the managers?”
Why should this be any different for Trump or the Golf Club's executives in charge of Trump's National Golf Club?
Why such vitriol in the some of the comments against Ms. Morales? Xenophobia is a condition of being a Trump supporter that’s why.
15
I remember reading an article in the NYT before Trump was elected, that detailed how Mar a Lago was issuing temporary work visas to young people from Slovenia to come and work - taking away employment from local residents. His history of hypocrisy on this subject is as long as it is disgusting.
17
Not to mention two Slavic wives, and their chain migration parents.
11
Here in Long Beach, CA we have a lot of undocumented young people who are community activists. They go to college paying the out of state tuition and work hard to make their community better. I have enormous respect and admiration for them.
13
@Bear mama
I suggest you check on this. They most certainly are NOT paying out of state tuition -- unless they are residents of another state, which I'm sure they are not. They are on tuition waivers and paying no tuition at all. California's community college system doesn't ask/check on immigration status.
Admire them all you want but if they went to high school anyplace in California, they are very often paying zero to go to a California CC.
8
Why is ICE not raiding all Trump businesses?
Why is Trump not insisting on an audit?
9
I'm sorry, did I miss something? She's tired of his insults, but yet the article mentions none - it does, however talk about how she's making more than I make AND receives hefty tips and compliments for doing a good job (for just doing her job) at an exclusive resort and has her own home as an illegal immigrant. I am so tired of these "victim" stories where people talk about how terrified they are because they're afraid of being caught doing something wrong, like oh, I don't know, illegally entering a country, illegally obtaining work documents, taking money that legal residents could be earning, and they have the gall to complain? They do realize there is famine all over this world and while they pose for a photo for the NYT with an obviously well-fed stomach, they should just count their blessings for a moment.
*running off to apply for employment at Trump's resort*
18
@John Van Winkle,
Have you been in an isolation chamber the last three years ?
"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best," he said in the same speech. "They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
"I’ve been treated very unfairly by this judge. Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall. I am going to do very well with the Hispanics, the Mexicans"
Most White Americans wouldn't do that hard-working maid's work for twice the wage she's making.
Thanks for your condescending 'blessings'.
Immigrants hold this country and our economy together; without them, it would become an unmaintained pigpen.
17
Insults? He hurls them daily.
8
@John
“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.”
Herman Melville
1
As part of a solution to this problem, please consider the following actions:
• Improve intelligence on large human smuggling operations and shut this industry down
• Improve border security though boots on the ground, surveillance and enforcement. Build new border walls only where practical.
• Enforce e-verify for every job in the US. Every worker would have a valid SS#, period.
• Improve ID security so these documents can be quickly and accurately verified
• Prosecute employers that do not follow the process and hire illegals. Focus enforcement on employers of illegal immigrants versus mass roundups of workers.
• Businesses such as landscaping, food service, construction, agriculture and maintenance will need to raise their rates to pay a living wage with benefits to their workers. Right now, they are getting fat from exploiting illegal immigrants.
• Since the cost of living will go up, Taxes on the poor and middle class need to go down. To counter the gross inequality we have experienced, taxes on the wealthy and corporations will have to increase.
15
@Tom
Great Post, Tom. Thank you.
2
I hope they don’t lose their jobs. It was brave of them to speak out for all the undocumented laborers who toil in usually the most menial of occupations.. In their cases, they had good jobs with much to lose by this.
9
We live in a world when people break laws. And it is not just the illegals, but middle and upper class citizens too. If we had a broad worker visa system that was realistic and sane immigration laws that are rigidly enforced, that would be a step in the right direction. As for these two women, it makes for interesting reading, but truly it is the equivalent of neighborhood gossip. No one should be surprised that it occurred to President Trump or one of your friends in the swankiest homes in the Village of Southampton or Beverly Hills.
6
The hypocrisy of this lying coward of a man is beyond explanation. Since is rabid base probably don’t read legitimate News Papers they won’t be aware of this hypocrisy. But the spineless congressional Republicans will and they will still remain silent.
7
It’s usually a Blanca or a Maria. Here it’s a Victorina who’s trotted out as an excuse for Democrat virtue-signaling which is on full display in the comments. Time to gargle.
7
All US corporations that need large numbers of low-skilled, uneducated laborers employ illegal immigrants. All of them. It has been corporate America’s dirty little secret. And those in power won’t change it, because the business model works, and any penalties fall upon the workers.
21
Double standard anyone?
4
@anonymous...Are you implying that the folks who clean the toilets in the Times Building in Mid-Manhattan have illegal documents?
1
@Albert Edmud I have no idea about the Times but many office buildings contract out janitorial and security services to other companies so the office building and its tenants have no control over who is hired to do the work.
4
We need mandatory E-verify checks for all new hires and significant criminal penalties for employers who break the law by hiring people not authorized work.
The proper response to this story is not “open borders “!
14
Nobody said it was. In spite of what Fox "News" tells you to say, this is not a black-and-white issue, nor a zero-sum game.
3
@Debra I don't watch Fox news.
2
@Debra It is ‘black and white.’ She has broken a number of laws and needs to face jail and deportation.
It is also a ‘zero sum game.’ She took the job of someone who was here legally. Millions of these aliens depress wages for poor and working classes.
4
Illegal entry? Forged I.D. and fake Social Security card? Failure to pay taxes? Lying on a job application? She has certainly made the case that she is indeed a criminal.
16
As is her boss.
9
@Debra, I disagree. The hiring manager didn't commit these crimes, she did. Unless you are expecting potential employers to assume all Mexicans are potential criminals using fraudulent credentials and therefore deny employment to them, it is absurd to try to have it both ways and state the employer is guilty of criminal activity by accepting her forged credentials as authentic. Mistaken-- perhaps, sloppy-- yes, criminal-- no.
1
This is the hypocrisy I find most disgusting. During Trump's entire term he has been demonizing illegal immigrants and profiting off them at the same time. Meanwhile, the people like Victorina work quietly in the background for him for a pittance. I wonder what will happen to her now.
7
Am I missing something?? Didn't you write that she got hired QUOTE where she was hired at the Trump property in 2013 with documents she said were phony. UNQUOTE. She got hired through presenting a fake work permit?
8
Of course this is not surprising coming from the dotard. Do as I say not not as I do. This is the key to the every republicans life. Don’t believe what you see and hear folks, just believe me.
3
remember:
the global north has been getting filthy rich
on the backs of the down-trodden in AND FROM
the global south. then and now.
slaves, rubber, cotton, sugar cane, coffee, cocoa,
modern slaves, diamonds, gold, coltan, bananas,
and so much, so many more ...
6
Before they arrived at the border, many in the caravan spoke to reporters and explained that they prayed for Trump to have a heart. It was all they could do, as they insisted that they were driven away by a violent gang.
Trump has trusted this maid for 6 years with his and his customers possessions; and yet, he labels everyone travelling in the caravan for safety as dangerous invaders - FOR VOTES!
When Reagan signed the 1986 Amnesty, he protected the coming generations of employers.
"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) preempts any state or local law from imposing civil or criminal sanctions... Citation: 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/state-e-verify-action.aspx
WHEN WILL THE WORKING MAN GET IT?
Republican employers exploit undocumented labor to avoid payments from on-the-job injuries and to keep out unions. Once they can pass "corporate" immigration reform and handpick the sponsored, smart Indians, Chinese, etc (who can't get green card by current lottery system), the "big, beautiful gates" that Candidate Trump promised in his Wall will be opened.
The number of additional Temporary Work Visas was 15,000 and 60,000 in 2017 and 2018. If they pass their bill, that number will skyrocket. Trump and his fellow exploiters want a legal, foreign workforce that forever stays big enough to preclude the return of organized labor.
Quit falling for the Trump Show. Republicans have nothing but excuses for never raising minimum wage.
7
@Able Nommer...How high did corporatist Dumicrats raise the minimum wage when they had the power to do so?
3
@Able Nommer If the two major political parties didn’t conspire to allow 20+ million unskilled workers and their families into the country, we wouldn’t need to raise the minimum wage.
Lower supply of labor would cause wages to rise naturally with or without a higher Federally mandated minimum wage.
3
E-verify would solve the problem, and no such stories would be possible. Are you on board?
8
Is anyone truly surprised about this?
3
If she’s so unhappy here, she should go back to Guatemala.
16
If top-notch help like Ms. Diaz couldn’t get that gross orange stain off trump’s collar, can you imagine how impossible it’ll be at the Pearly Gates to get those stains off trump’s soul?
4
Let’s not bring up the subject of stains. There’s too much history there and none too flattering for Democrats.
5
Why not put the picture of 45th Granddaddy, the Freddy, the barber, who crossed the Atlantic in 1885.....from Kallstadt
3
Oh my goodness! This is indeed shocking. An American multinational enterprise has low-level undocumented workers on its payroll. And...the conspiracy goes all the way up to the White House! What a scoop. And what a hero we have in Ms. Morales, who willfully violated the laws of the U.S. I see a Nobel Peace Prize in her future, hopefully awarded on the same day that NYT picks up a Pulitzer for this blockbuster story.
7
How far we have come from Zoe Baird....
2
As soon as Trump reads this story she's fired......just as soon as he reads it.......as soon as he reads.........never mind.
4
Deport her now
7
How is it possible that the NYT can paint Victorina Morales as a victim or even a heroine? What she is is a repeat offender. She entered this country illegally, stole someone's social security number, somehow got hold of a fake green card to obtain her initial employment. To top it all off, she has been here for almost 20 years and cannot speak a word of English. But she certainly knows how to milk the system. Does anyone really believe that this uneducated woman with no English skills found a lawyer who would exploit her case? She was searched out to prove a point, but I think it has backfired for many of your readers.
99
@AFC Milking the system? Sounds like she's working (very well, that is, even complimented by the President himself) and paying taxes. So....what are you complaining about?
She's brave to speak out about Trump's utter hypocrisy knowing full well she'll be deported.
66
@AFC Umm, the point is, and I think most of the readers here get it, that Trump indulges in scary rhetoric about illegals but needs them to run his businesses, even gives them certificates of appreciation. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?
71
@AFC
With that fake SS card she puts into the system but cannot take out. I call that a win for us.
36
I admire Morales' courage and forthrightness. I hope she finds a place here, and not with a boss who tosses pocket change at her on rare occasion, while repeatedly slamming her birthplace, countrymen and race.
I do think the story should have addressed whether she pays taxes and wonder why it was omitted. I wouldn't condemn her if Morales couldn't, but it belongsvbecause that's where some people will automatically go. I also want to know her reason for coming here.
1
There are many things that bother me about this story. I think what bothers me the most is that Trump clearly has close, positive personal interactions with immigrants on a regular basis in his day-to-day life, yet still gets up in front of the world and villifies entire classes of people, encouraging his followers to do the same.
In doing so, he robs people like Ms. Morales of their dignity and humanity.
7
I am disappointed to see that Ms. Jordan has placed Ms. Morales at risk of being deported in trying to get her story out and published. As someone who lived in fear of being deported every single day of my life in the United States, I find Ms. Jordan's actions reckless. Stories augment readership but at the end of the day, Ms. Morales will face deportation and a life of uncertainty while Miriam Jordan will move on to another story. Even though Ms. Morales says she understands the consequences of coming forward, I am not convinced that she understands the depth of pain and life changing events that this could trigger.
7
@waroca...I suspect her lawyers, her handlers and advocates like The New York Times will ensure that Morales and her family are well cared for. There is no chance whatsoever that she or any member of her family will ever be deported. You can expect to see her paraded around to all of the usual leftist virtue-signaling venues - The State of the Union Speech, SNL, Late Nite, the Oscars, etc. She'll be declared another Rosa Parks. Don't cry for Victorina, waroca.
3
I do not believe that Secret Service did not "check" out each and every person who would be in the same room with the person who is President or when Chief of Staff or Cabinet secretaries came to meet. What, they just people walk in and out of Trump's villa and bathrooms? If Secret Service did not; something is wrong. If Secret Service did, and they can't figure out an employee's residency papers are fake, then how can the Federal Gov't demonize employers who do not.
Trump Organization posts an add every year for Mara Lago looking for "maids" and "waiters" and claims they can't find suitable people and request visas for people from other countries to work the resort.... primarily eastern block/white european.
If Trump and his companies did not do a hard look at all of their businesses before Trump started demonizing immigrants and employers who hire undocumented workers, it's on them..... He knew, or should have known....... or at least the executives of these resorts and Trump Organization.
I'm tired of the double standard.
3
That Donald Trump's organization hires illegal workers is not a surprise. Nor is the fact that large parts of his organization do not use E-Verify. Finding people to fill those types of positions and have them show up everyday is difficult; hiring managers tend to like people who are dependable. The disgusting part of this story is that the illegal worker is blamed and not the hiring company. And the truly special place in Hell is for those people who demand the goods and services of these illegals and then condemn them for being here illegally.
The people here illegally are here because we gave them jobs. (And purposely failed to check them through E-Verify). You want to stop illegal immigration? Make E-Verify mandatory; you do not have a valid Social Security number, you do not work in this country.
Make E-Verify mandatory overnight, and watch a recession get created. Eight million people removed from the workforce will collapse the local economy through business failures. Ask the State of Georgia.
There has been enough law breaking all around, from the illegal border crosser, to the company hiring that illegal worker. to buying their goods and services. Time to stop pointing fingers, stop being xenophobic, and get the problem solved. Make E-Verify mandatory, but do so in a manner that does not cause the offending companies to go out of business.
The United States works when everyone is equally under the law including illegal worker, hiring firm, and consumer.
224
@Harry It’s a capitalist country. It shouldn’t be difficult for Trump to fill these jobs. Yes, he might have to go without a gold toilet or a private plane if he actually paid competitive wages, but I doubt he would starve.
19
@Harry
BUT! Who? will clean the toilets??!!
12
@Harry If you are so concerned about the law you should be very concerned about Trump who doesnt believe in the law except for other people and who thinks the justice system is there for him to misuse and abuse and the swamp that he lives in.
8
My proposal is open borders with Mexico and the Central American countries. It would provide easy flow for the workers and give them easy access to their families and to work. It is not true that we can't afford them. What we can't afford is the continuing of a war economy. Let's build factories not walls. Let's have open discussions based in the fact that we are all in this together not based in fear. No one person or culture is better than any other person or culture. That is a primary truth and used to be the primary principle of this country - "We the people....." - remember?
3
Though brave, these women have lost everything by coming forward. And I question what this expose will achieve. The President plays to his base and will be merciless with them.
4
No one should be surprised by any aspect of this story. Especially the details concerning the trump organization decision to avoid the use of EVerify, and the obvious complicity of supervision and management in the process.
This is routine in the service and hospitality industry and an end to the employment of illegal immigrants in this industry would be disastrous.
419
@Paul '52 So you must believe that EVerify should be required for all hires everywhere?
5
@Paul '52
eVerify is generally a voluntary program. For you and others, here is a link to the status of required eVerify by state. You should note that it is generally the Red states that require it to be used.
https://www.lawlogix.com/e-verify-map/
14
@Kurfco
of all the people in the world who should use the “voluntary” program whose name comes to mind first?
6
I applaud these women for having the courage to stand up to the abuse that Trump hurls at undocumented workers, many of whom work long hours for low wages. Undoubtedly they will suffer for having spoken out.
It is no secret that Trump employs undocumented workers, which allows him to avoid having to pay higher wages or the employer's portion of the social security taxes. He employed undocumented Polish workers and used Chinese steel to build Trump Tower.
That said, we must come to some humane solution to the immigration issue. Most of the immigrants are like these women, hardworking people who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.
It is particularly significant that these women are Guatemalan. The United States bears direct responsibility for the lawlessness in Guatemala. In 1954, the CIA overthrew Jacobo Arbenz, a democratically elected president in order to preserve United Fruit's investments. This led to years of brutal military rule. This makes it even more imperative that we work together to find a solution to the immigration issue that goes beyond simply vilifying undocumented immigrants.
7
I make your bed.
I clean your toilet.
I carry the insults you heap
on hardworking people like me
across my aching shoulders.
I wear your little flag pin
and know that I am part of a game,
a performance,
a hoax.
I scrub the orange makeup
from the collar of your shirt
and your voice rises in anger
because those stains
tell a stubborn truth,
about the mask you wear.
I have no power over my own story.
You have changed and abused
and distorted my truth
for your own convenience,
so that from your lips
I am no longer a survivor,
courageous, industrious, human.
Instead, I scrub your toilet
and the words
criminal,
“illegal,”
rapist
drug-dealer
ring in my ears.
Scrub.
Scrub.
Scrub.
Enough.
1941
@C. Whiting - you're a powerful writer.
101
Thanks, Whiting!
You poetically speak for many of us.
95
@C. Whiting Poignant and so full of truth! Now, a poem for the rest of her life...
103
How very brave of Ms. Morales to come forward with her story, knowing she could suffer consequences for revealing her status. She is acting as a whistleblower against one of the most powerful people in the world. I hope that she receives legal protection.
2091
@Elsa
Brave indeed as well as self-sacrificing. I don't think there is any question that DT and his band of hypocrites will not only fire her, but deport her. Aside from the fact that she came forward with inconvenient information, she couldn't get the orange make-up stains out of his collar! - do you think any employee can come back from that revelation in Trump bizarro world?
172
@Elsa: The House of Representatives should investigate all Trump businesses to find out what percentage of the workforce is undocumented.
62
@Elsa I thought same thing how brave she is.I really hope she protected from DT because he can be vindictive.
48
If an American citizen falsifies/forges identification and/or identity theft, we get charged with a crime and are facing jail time. If that same citizen applies for any loans, credit cards, has a bank account, votes or really does anything at all with that false identification, more jail time. If a person goes to any other country in the world and does this, they are charged with crimes, are jailed or just immediately deported.
We certainly do have more than one system of justice going on in this country and frankly, I'm quite sick and tired of it.
14
America was build that way.
@David You make many valid points. They are here because we americans won't work in those jobs. Waiting for the steel and coal jobs to return. Any day now.
1
@American Gonzo Americans won't work in those jobs because the influx of illegals drives down wages.
2
The article reports only positive comments by her about Trump. That is not the impression given by the lead quote. She is really chancing being deported by coming out like this. That makes me wonder about her motivation?
Let's start another pointless, 2 year investigation into Trump about this as well.
4
Subverting our democracy for your own financial gain is pointless? Ranting about immigrants and then hiring them to do your menial work is pointless. What a upside down world republicans have created.
2
I would hope that the New York Times would not print an article such as this, but they did. The fallout from this article remains to be seen.
From our history we know that the rich and the politically powerful will continue business as they have always done of course with some change. However, I am very afraid that the damage from what the New York Times printed will hurt many families. Often the poorest families who reside in the U.S. will hurt the most. The fallout will also extend to those who depend on money these illegal immigrants send back to their homeland so that others can survive.
Remember be compassionate but realistic.
2
What should any employer do to investigate the ability of any employee to work in the US beyond an I9? What happens with that info once submitted?
In this case one or several managers should be held liable for evading the law.
This is really nothing to do with the current president and everything to do with the way I9 and the verification process -and penalties - were established in the first place.
The woman who is the subject if this article lied, has publicly admitted lying and needs to be deported and her managers need to be prosecuted. Their party affiliation should not protect them.
5
Of course, he could try to sponsor her in some way, instead of having her deported. But that would be kind and humane...say no more, his base would erupt in a frenzy of some kind if he did that (which would beyond his capacity for empathy anyway). And that frenzied base is the only source of power he has left anyway, so she can probably count on them hunting her down and putting her in cuffs and shipping her out to a very unkind future. She might manage it, she's obviously courageous; far more so than Trump and his minions, that's certain.
It is a simple FACT OF LIFE that employers in the USA must hire immigrants, mostly undocumented, in order to fill positions that legal immigrants and American citizens refuse to take. The only solution to the problem is for the USA (federal and state governments) to force the legals off welfare benefits and into those jobs they refuse to take. Of course this is easier said than done because the American Civil Liberties people, church groups and other human rights advocates will immediately protest fiercely and even sue the government. Good luck America!
2
The "only " solution? Far from it. Read the LATimes expose on working conditions in the strawberry fields where workers actually died of heat and dehydration for pennies a basket. The solution is to make working conditions less dangerous, the pay able to support rent and food on 40 hours or less. You know, like union jobs.
5
Morales has been reported to the local PD after admitting o using fraudulent i.d. She is part of the ruination of our town and flagrantly broke laws that an American citizen would be arrested for. Deport her now.
14
And what do you suggest for the Trump businesses that profited greatly from illegal labor?
5
@phyllis pournaras but revere the clever business people who disregard the law by hiring her and tens of thousands of others, increasing their profits by paying low wages and no benefits?
3
@phyllis pournaras --The burden is on the employer to make sure the workers it hires are authorized. Companies that hire unauthorized workers just glance at the social security cards and other information they're given. They don't really want to know. The Trump Organization should be heavily fined and the HR manager fired for allowing unauthorized workers to be employed for years.
2
Knowing that no one in the Trump administration - or any administration for that matter - will do anything to end this hypocrisy makes this even more depressing. Worse, this woman will probably lose her job and be deported or worse, imprisoned. Trump is a bottomless pit of despicable words and acts. I hope The New York Times will continue to follow this story and that she survives her brave act of speaking out.
8
Politicians have been damaged when it is revealed that they have employed undocumented workers, or failed to pay Social Security for household employees. Some have been damaged enough that they have to resign their positions or withdraw from elections.
Not Donald Trump.
Trump's jeremiads against "illegal" immigrants is utterly for show and to fire up the MAGA-heads in his "lock her up" rallies. Trump has a history of employing undocumented immigrants, many more of which have been abused than we see here.
But the MAGA-heads are blaming the victims. In their eyes Trump is not (is never!) to blame. It is the immigrants who are at fault.
Trump is disgusting. Hypocrisy is endemic in his actions, and he clearly cares not a whit for his employees or the American people. In his own words, he is a disgrace.
15
The hypocrisy of Trump never ceases to amaze. In my opinion, he'll go down as one of America's biggest stains on our country's reputation.
On the other hand, the courage of Ms. Morales to speak out about Trump, his deceptive organization and lying management, and stand up for her fellow Hispanics is commendable. She's willing to give up her job & risk deportation all to expose the duplicity of this man.
And as I write this I read that he's "done it again." Trump has nominated a former Fox correspondent without any experience in foreign relations to be the US Ambassador to the UN. Yet she has what it takes. Undeniable allegiance to follow this Pied Piper of Lies over the edge of morality.
More insults to this nation's credibility. Leaders around the world are laughing at us.
10
Plenty of born here Americans cannot get jobs and ps would not be hired by Trump or others precisely because they AREN'T illegal S. of the border immigrants. (I think of them as the Indios -- many of Mayan origin.)
Take a look at Appalachia -- and all those unemployed people in W.Va. Somehow, the Spanish-speaking and other ethnic migrants manage to end up in or near major cities -- not in small town America -- where in fact populations have decreased with the demise of shoe factories, steel mills, clothing and fabric factories.
I shudder at the fruits and veggies, fish, cookies from beyond the borders (meanwhile not a kumquat in sight)along with everything else.) Frankly, should have had tariffs a long time ago. (Ironically, getting rid of steel factories meant getting rid of much pollution.)
BTW where is the Trump Appalachia golf course??
3
What a hypocritical story on the part of the authors of this story and the NYT. What the story is doing is blowing up the whole network that allows people without papers to work under cover. There is indeed a level of complicity among workers, managers and supervisors (and maybe business owners) that hire this people eager to work hard for minimum pay and it has been there for decades. Don't make things harder for them with this publicity. Don't invite new levels of scrutiny, paranoia, harsh enforcement and persecution. That will be the real result of this piece, not any indictment of Trump's hypocrisy which is no news. To save face, he will order draconian measures to "clean up" his businesses of them. Ido hope he continues tipping his employees well, though.
5
But of course. And Trump definitely knows all about it. His “anti-illegal immigration” platform is just an act. Frankly, Trump belongs to a despicable group of people who would be happy to simply have slaves if they could get away with it. And make no mistake, they care not a whit whether Americans have jobs or not.
Illegal immigration is something that should be halted if we can, and not just because it is wrong for our country, but also because illegal and undocumented immigrants are paid poorly and often abused. Phonies like Trump, however, blame the wrong people. They blame the immigrants, not the employers that hire them. Any of us in equally desperate or miserable circumstances would take the chance to improve our own lives and the lives of our children. I’d be sneaking over the border too— if I knew there would be work. But if no one would hire me, then I wouldn’t.
Businesses save themselves oodles of money by taking advantage of people that are desperate. They “hire” them, but these people have no rights, no recourse, no security. And now the people who depend on their cheap labor to make themselves even richer turn them into the “bad hombres”, stealing everyone’s jobs. What a farce. Let’s start laying the blame where it belongs— with people like Trump, and the rest of us who don’t want to pay a few more pennies a pound for tomatoes that are picked by legally employed citizens and legal residents, or ten more bucks at a hotel or restaurant, etc.
8
The Trump organization’s compassion toward an undocumented migrant is truly an inspiring holiday story. Thank you NYT for promoting this demonstration of humanity and welcoming attitude on the part of the DJT culture as practiced by his businesses.
2
Good one. These women will be fired, and many more I suspect, will be fired and Trump's greed and hypocrisy will only grow.
1
@skyfiber Dry irony from our friends in Oz.
Trump probably does like her, and many others he meets. Its politics, you demonize these people to assure your base is happy. He is definitely a very divided personality. Loves his family and friends but separates families and locks kids away, insults any who he suspects are not loyal to him, reduces funds for food and health care to millions, all because he needs to keep a small majority on his side. He comes first always.
2
What outstanding courage by Ms Morales and Diaz!
Sure, they crossed the border illegally a long time ago.
Sure, bozo the vainglorious clown slipped a fin or so for their work, cheapo self-satisfaction.
What the article reveals is not just courage to confront the hypocrisy of the president, but the fact that there is a system that tolerates and encourages the economic exploitation of ordinary people from the Latin American countries who are just trying to build a better life for their families.
It is patently obvious that rich people and business owners have long used illegal immigrants as cheap but hard-working laborers in agriculture, maid services, and domestic workers.
There is a system of law evasion and issuing phony documents just as there is a system of tax evasion among a certain class of characters of dubious morality, the president and his family being the most infamous of them.
3
Really? Do we need to hear about this guy's boxer shorts? How his clothes are laundered? The only reason Donald Trump is important is because he is president. Beyond that, he is a cipher, a zero, a non-entity in my book. I do not understand the media's fawning over every pearl of wisdom that droppeth from his lips (as pearls before swine), or orange collar stain, or his tipping habits.
Let's talk about hypocrisy. Oh, let's not. It's just another brick in Trump's wall of ignorance and sloth. He is important because he managed to fool enough people into voting for him. With the help of a foreign government. Since then, he has degraded the office with a disgusting mix of hatred, vitriol, verbal diarrhea, and destruction of perhaps 40 years' worth of hard-fought-and-won environmental protections at a stroke of his too-tall sharpie-scrawl.
His enduring legacy will be one of diminishing the office of President of the United States. Our future Presidents will never again enjoy the trust of the global community we once held sacred. Our stock on the world stage has plummeted.
Thanks for nothing Donald. I'm sure it would surprise you to hear me say I admire your housekeepers and groundspeople. For them, now subject to your ire and rage, I can only hope you do not destroy their lives like you have done to untold millions with your follies and criminal mindset.
4
Ooooh the irony! E-verify or not, Trump is responsible for the same things he rallies against.
6
By working ‘without papers,’ at a minimum Ms Morales and her employer have committed tax and/or identity fraud.
Now that ICE and the IRS know this, her employer needs to face legal prosecution and she needs to be returned to her country of origin.
Any assets she has accumulated as the fruits of her crimes need to be forfeited.
8
@Jack What about the fruits of Trump's crimes??
6
Glad you are not a judge
Should her employer hand over all profits for the years she worked there?
Should ICE, the IRS and DOJ make an example of the Trump corporation with a full audit of all their businesses to search for undocumented workers and subs? Seems reasonable
4
1. The whole point of this article went right over your head.
2. Undocumented immigrants can and do pay taxes.
3. Keep the dramatics on your personal social media pages. No one has the intention of deporting them, especially if they currently legally reside in the US.
1
Is it a surprise to learn that Donald J. Trump employs undocumented workers?
And, (not to imperil their jobs) I wonder how many there are, scattered throughout his hotels, restaurants, and golf courses?
2
I greatly fear for this woman's safety and livelihood. I hope the risks she faces as a result of speaking out have been fully explained to her, and that the NYTimes took care to provide full legal representation. ICE has no fear of bad publicity.
4
@Esther. Read the article please. She has an attorney. I'm sure the attorney initiated contact with the Times.
2
@Esther - It sounds as though the 'possible lawsuit' she is being talked into may be the reason behind all this. Otherwise, why is she speaking out knowing the danger of her deportation.
1
@Esther Her attorney needs to establish a GoFundMe page to pay for her immigration legal battle.
Reality Check we live in trouble times. Last Great Deprestion Left millions poorer as rich became richer. Now we live in time of Great Deception where rich never been richer. Problem is rich dont think that way they see there billions are worth fraction what they where so they want more to make up for lost in value. Why our country uses illegal immigrants as way to cheat system. Maybe we all should take lesson from past an stop buying into what we are being told as truth.As for border wall illegal imigrants solution is quiet simple allow the people to vote to become part of usa . Means central america become one with usa an mexico End of Problem free the children. But i doubt any one in congress cares too much money to be made way it is.
1
@jerry lee. What an interesting idea! I have never heard anyone suggest this. I wonder if the people of Mexico and the Central American states south of it would vote to join the U.S.. More than money, though, the current underpopulated States would oppose it as they would see their political clout decline. And unless they themselves proposed and promoted the idea (in order to be associated with it by the new citizens) the Republicans would be implacably opposed because they'd be pariahs throughout these new States.
It's not only an orange stain on his collar, but on the entire country.
The hospitality, agriculture and construction industries would collapse without undocumented immigrant labor. The Republicans and everyone else in those businesses know it. That's why it's so easy to cheat and why only the immigrants are punished under the current system. Their hypocrisy is personified by Trump, his family and their businesses.
3
Economic benefit is not a valid reason for admission to the U.S. Ms. Morales entered illegally, forged documents to procure employment and has been gaming and cheating the system all along to remain here. She's not a hero, and should be deported. Trump's business on the other hand, like many others in the U.S., have been employing illegal residents, exploiting their labor for their benefit, while it is against the law and these businesses hardly suffer any consequences. They should be heavily fined and if repeat offenders, the responsible parties jailed.
If this country needs workers for certain jobs either provide quest worker visas, to fill positions or some other legalized document program instead of running this underground economy.
It is insulting to individuals who follow the rules and regulations, which in many instances take years from date of application to being allowed to migrate to the U.S., but if you cheat and sneak across the border and enter illegally and are an illegal resident you can perhaps be rewarded with perhaps a job, a driver's license schooling, and other perks, etc.
Ms. Morales may be courageous for coming forward but she doesn't get my sympathy. As for Trump, I despise him, and his businesses even more.
11
@Peter Kernast, Jr How do you feel about Melania Trump's illegal entry into this country and her parents' chain migration, enabled by Donald himself??
4
"I'm shocked, shocked to find there are illegal immigrants working here!"
Here's an easy way to tell if you, or somebody you know, ever engaged in directly hiring an immigrant with false papers, or worked for a company that did: Have you ever held a job? If the answer is No, I have never held a job of any kind, then you're off the hook (unless you're a stay at home person in charge of hiring the household help). If the answer is Yes, I have held at least one job in my lifetime, then you're guilty as charged.
This is like the old pornography joke, a $100 billion a year business, with no customers. Instead we have 28 million businesses in the US, and not a single one has ever "knowingly" hired an undocumented or falsely documented worker. I myself have pushed the I9 across the desk countless times, and asked the new employee to sign on the line where it says they attest, under penalty of perjury, that all the information on the form is true and accurate. I myself, of course, have never been asked to sign anything that says I did more than examine the documents presented to me. And, by gosh, I did examine those documents, every single one, real and not so real.
Add this to the long list of regularly practiced hypocrisy in these United States. The fix is easy: let these people work. The label "illegal" might be more apropos if it was affixed to employer and employee alike.
She readily admits in her interview that she used counterfeit immigration documents, a false social security card and no doubt a fake name to get employment. When a background check revealed she had problems, her manager directed her to obtain a new set of fraudulent documents. She admits to committing a number of felonies, all of which make her a deportable criminal alien
So when we institute employment guidelines and employees circumvent the process it creates a level of corruption. The management knowingly violated the law and then encouraged Morales to do so, yet again.
Of course the Left will swoon and fawn over her and declare her to be some kind of civil rights icon, ignoring the fact she has violated our laws. They will use her in an attempt to paint the system as unfair and we should just ignore the laws we don't like. How does this make us any better than the corrupt governments that fail to follow the rule of law.
16
@Mike The fact is, the employers should be held accountable. They are the ones not using every means available to them to verify documentation. Trump is guilty, his companies are guilty and many rich business men are guilty. Are you going to call for their being brought to justice? We can send Morales back to Guatamala but the real problem is right here in America, where we want it all, but we don't want to pay for any of it.
4
Ok. The Trump organization may have employed illegal immigrants without adequately checking on their lack of documentation. But does that change the fact that an "undocumented" immigrant is here illegally? When did it become acceptable for an immigrant to jump the line that all LEGAL immigrants have to pass in order to get into the USA? Even if they are good people who add benefit to the nation.
And why do we persist in calling illegal immigrants "undocumented" immigrants, as if that ameliorates their status. Maybe its time to call illegal immigration what it is: ILLEGAL.
Most Americans approve of LEGAL immigration. It has benefited the USA in so many ways. But why do we have to tolerate ILLEGAL immigration and call it euphemistically "undocumented" immigration?
Is it really too much to expect our neighbors in Mexico and Central America to follow the law and migrate to this country legally? Are they the exception to the rule and have special status to enter our country without complying with the normal immigration laws? And do they have the right to caravan here and compel the authorities to admit them as asylum seekers? And finally, does our country have the same right as other countries to deport those who entered without following the law?
11
@JAM
Is it really too much to expect a president not to be able to buy his way out of a felony conviction by settling 3 class action lawsuits filed against him for fraud?
I'm referring to the man who is currently the subject of an investigation that might nail him for treason.
3
@JAM
It is really very hard to migrate to this country legally. In fact, almost impossible for people without skills (trying to build some decent life for themselves with skills for their children). Their only shot really is to do so illegally. That does not make them criminals.
3
@JAM You are missing the point. Trump is a huge liar and hypocrite. He must be held accountable. I am willing to call Morales an illegal immigrant. She's admitting it here. But the larger issue are people like Trump, who talk out of the side of their mouths.
6
Ms. Morales, I'd like to invite you over to my house for Christmas where we celebrate a child, not born in a castle with a silver spoon in his mouth, (or millions put in a bank account by daddy), but a baby born in a simple stall among the animals. Some still need to learn that the least of us are actually greater.
5
Colin Kaepernick who made a living fighting over the ball took a stand against racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem before such games, so he lost his job. Nike capitalized on this civil rights stance by dramatizing it in a hyperbolic ad campaign: "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything."
Victorina Morales has sacrificed more than Mr. Kaepernick ever has, she has worked for decades in a job sector that is not glamorous, she has been surrounded by celebrities and retained her integrity, and she is so real, it makes the Nike ad campaign appear utterly foolish, patronizing and fake.
This picture by Christopher Gregory of Ms. Morales standing in her kitchen with a Trump golf work shirt and the Nike Swoosh logo on her left arm is perhaps the most potent marketing campaign Nike could ever mine. Because she is so real, so honest and so woke, the corporation cannot touch this with a ten foot pole and has to remain silent lest it be accused of capitalizing on her grit and grace.
Ms. Morales, I'd wear your shirt any day.
2
@Chris Perhaps the people Kaepernick means to represent would have enhanced ployment opportunities in the absence of the illegal immgrants you defend. Can you connect the dots?
3
Would Donald Trump allow entry to a young woman, who was the last of ten children (such 'breeders"), for whom English was only a second language learned at school; who left school at thirteen and entered the US as a minor, following her older sisters. ("chain migration"), and who worked initially as a domestic? Probably not. But he would have excluded his mother.
1
The ultimate hypocritical, two-faced, liar does it again. But it makes sense, you've 'made your bed, now LIE in it'.
POTUS on Twitter: "Why not, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson had slaves. Very un-Presidential. I'm charitable and fair, she gets paid handsomely and can leave anytime she wants"
2
This is consistent with who the Liar-In-Chief (also Cheater-In-Chief & Thief-In-Chief) does for a living: he grinds humans up and discards them when he thinks he needs to replace them.
He sees humans as objects (or beasts of burden) who exist to service his ego and satisfy his three needs: fame with adulation; money; and sex.
2
Please re-deploy all ICE personnel to all Trump properties immediately if not sooner.
3
@DB this only makes sense if they plan to arrest the employer. Otherwise it is just harassing hard working individuals. With low unemployment there are many jobs that Americans won't do.
What a cynical, perverse policy it is to blame poor people and protect those who profit from their labor.
1
It is often said that in one on one in person meetings Trump is every bit the gentleman with humor and a pleasant continence. He would do well to exhibit that in his professional life. When I used to listen to Trump on Howard Stern I often hoped he was only performing...being the male horn dog pig he seemed and not really that guy in private life. All these women defined him as kind. Let's hope so.
How could anyone be surprised about this?
I think it was John Brennan who labelled Trump the height of hypocrisy. Just another glaring example.
Ms. Morales entered this country illegally and now she is flaunting it.
I hope everyone reading this article appreciates this as more yet evidence that the left liberal worldview has as its natural consequence the creation of a society where folks overstep boundaries, and break the law too, with impunity and then brag about it in the newspaper of record.
How about deporting Ms. Morales?
8
The article never quite comes around to calling Trump a hypocrite. Why is that.
1
Reminds me of my uncle in Florida who pays low HOA fees for his development, enjoys fresh fruit and veggies from the market at very low prices, but then turns around and rails against all the "illegals."
It's exploitation on the so-called Christian right: they enjoy the cheap goods and services that undocumented workers provide, then turn around and blame them for everything. Sickening hypocrisy.
Just another indication of the hypocrisy,deceit and disregard for the laws of this land by the Trump administration.Trump is a total “fake”,a disgrace to the USA. I have complete sympathy for the asylum refugees, their plight deserves attention. I have absolute no sympathy for Trump, the GOP and the Republicans supporters who go along with their false immigration narrative.We need to update and enforce humane asylum/immigration laws.
Let’s hope the Donald doesn’t just say he didn’t know about it and deport all these people because there are 63 million Americans who will believe him.
Question: Is illegal immigration wrong? Unsure where the educated readers of this publication stand on this issue.
3
@Jeff - If illegal immigration only negatively impacts working class occupations like housekeeping and construction, it's fine. This allows upper middle class U.S. citizens, who benefit from illegal immigration, to feel virtuous about condoning it.
2
Comon' NYT, this is not just fake news, its manipulated news. First of all, she admits to using forged ID documents and a fake Social Security number. This is criminal activity, and the only question is how did the Secret Service let her get within a mile of the President. Then the article claims that she made his bed and cleaned his toilet. Really? Prove it. She is part of the cleaning staff at a Golf Course. By the way, a job she stole from a citizen or legal immigrant. How is this anything other than proof of how prevalent this criminal activity is.
7
As long as he can get the labor cheap, he Really Doesn’t Care. Do You?
2
What brave women. Exposing the hypocrisy that is Trump.
These people have lost their jobs and their liberty. No doubt. Did they realize this? Did the NYT warn them sufficiently? Merry Christmas.
3
You will keep us posted on what happens to Ms. Morales, won't you?
3
Wonderful story, but won't make a dent with the trumpetts.
1
Oh no, really? He had illegal immigrants working for him?
Excuse me, what crazy house does America live in to have believed anything Bone Spurs Trump says or trust what he does.
2
I have a friend who were arrested for 5 months leaving his wife and three children. he is a hard working people who are not deserved to be treated like that. And here we are, our own President employs similar immigrant to his benefit.What a hypocrite
Check Trump's papers now.
1
I think these folks are shooting themselves on the foot. Whatever he say for political reasons, didn't he tip you well. If you go somewhere else, what better treatment are you going to get. All these liberals who support you will not pay you a penny.
5
These ladies are traitors and hypocrites ! As describe in this article they committed at least two crimes (entering illegally and using fake documents). They are "also exploring a lawsuit claiming workplace abuse and discrimination.." They got the job and they got paid... what else do they want ?
5
@Wendel
What else do they want? A six figure settlement.
4
I wish them the best of luck! The comment above was submitted by mistake. They are not traitors and hypocrites. I can't edit that. The ones who hired them betrayed what they preached.
I would like to sincerely apologize to them for the mistake I made in my first comment ! They are brave and courageous. Most people choose to hide. They risked everything.
Ummm, stains from his makeup? That explains a lot.
1
Wow. Cheap trim and doors in the Donald’s home. Oh. Wait a minute. That’s her home. Sorry.
2
All’s we (the american public - mostly democratic) can say is: “liar liar pants on fire”!
Is she packing her bags yet?
5
This is the epitome of Donald Trump. Let's deport all undocumented aliens (except for those who work for me - shhhhh). Victorina Morales is my hero.
You know who likes being called stupid the most? Stupid people. Announcing to the country you have broken the US immigration laws and used fake documents doesn't really make a case to consider otherwise.
6
There can be no good news under a Trump Administration because the president is personally corrupt down to his toenails.
2
it's time for this criminal maid to eave the country
5
Why wasn't this exposed during Trump 's campaign. it is not surprising but it would have been helpful to counteract his slurs towards immigrants.
Watch what they do, not what they say. Words do not have to reflect the truth the way actions do. A great leader inspires with words and leads by actions.
To state that Donald Trump knowingly hires illegals is ludicrous. Not one CEO has ever gone in and personally checked I-9 documents. They hire human resource managers for that purpose. Having been an office manager I can assure you that before E-verify was implemented I most likely unknowingly accepted falsified documents and even passed an I-9 audit because these documents look legit. E-verify should also be a requirement in all states. Not only should these women be fired and the one who is still illegal be deported but the supervisor who knew they were illegal should also be fired and prosecuted. Anyone knowingly accepting or helping illegal immigrants obtain false documents should be prosecuted.
9
Trump: certainly a powerful example of the very old cliché, "Do as I say, not as I do."
Trump has spent 70 days at his New Jersey golf club and an equal amount of time at Maralago, so at least 140 days off in less than than two years. American workers are lucky to get 2 weeks off. Plus all of the secret service expenses to stay at his hotels, Airforce One and the other planes for his brood. Not to mention spendthrift Melania's $129,000 hotel bill in Canada. Yet this paper tiger who depends on so many others to support his lifestyle thinks nothing of denying basic rights to the workers.
1
Mr. Trump has been hiring undocumented workers for staff at his overpriced dumps for decades
He sells almost exclusively foreign made merchandise on his company website
His buildings are constructed with imported steel
He built the signature Tower in NYC using Polish construction workers
He money comes mostly from Russians and Arabs
The only commerce Mr. Trump engages in that can be considered "American" is selling off our American assets and influence to the highest bidder for his own profit.
2
In my opinion, this article strengthens the case for tightening immigration procedures and deporting non-compliant people.
These system 'gamers' are tired of insults but not tired of taking generous tips from the very people they complain about. They are immoral liars who pushed their way to the head of the line in front of others who have followed the rules.
6
Why is any of this surprising? Trump Tower was built on ground cleared by undocumented Polish workers who were partially stiffed out of their wages, and this was known already before the presidential election.
1
The notion that Mr. Trump is all evil and we who comment are righteous, is a falsehood perpetrated by those of us who comment on the speck in one man's eye while carrying a beam in ours. Any one of us, given similar circumstances are pre-disposed to do exactly what Mr. Trump is accused of. And, no, I do not support either his policies or his behaviour. we could benefit from being grateful that "but for the grace of God, there go I".
2
This is simply too rich. You can't make this stuff up. We all know Trump brought in undocumented construction workers from Poland to build Trump Tower in New York. And now this woman is in his bedroom making his bed. I love it.
1
This article is preposterous. On one hand, these women came into the country ILLEGALLY, they say they lied about their status and had people who hired them and covered up for them at the Golf Resort. On the other hand, it is somehow Trumps fault. For what? Did he hire them personally? Was he briefed they were illegal? No. These women should take their savings and moved back to Guatemala or wherever they came from, and the Times should stop treating everyone who breaks the law as wearing a badge of honor.
10
Once again the reality is that illegal immigrants are just tax paying hard working people doing the work that most Americans will not do. Interesting to note that the IRS will issue a taxpayer identification to illegal immigrants so they pay their taxes even though they may be ineligible to work in the US and receive any benefits that there taxes pay for. So it appears that there is over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US who are most probably employed paying income taxes, social security and medicare taxes when they will never collect any of these benefits that a US citizen receives. Can the federal government really afford to deport them and make Americans pay higher taxes to cover the lose it tax revenues?
11
@P - you're basing your "reality" on a profile of two women? There were more than 50 illegal immigrants detained by Massachusetts this week for deportation who had criminal records for drug trafficking and murder. Oh, and a few of them, like these women profiled, had also committed identify theft.
2
As someone who often stays at hotels and visits construction sites for my work, I have not doubt I have benefited from the labor of many undocumented immigrants. My honest opinion is that these people are doing work I am not interested in doing and am happy to pay others to do. It's time we all admitted it: we depend on undocumented immigrants.
What we need now is to pass a concise amnesty bill modeled after Reagan's amnesty of the 1980's. If a worker can prove that she has worked here while obeying the law and paying taxes for at least 1 year, then she should be given a $10,000 fine for breaking the law and a green card to become a legal worker. It's just that simple.
I see help wanted signs all over the place; we need all the workers we can get. Cheap labor is the foundation of our economy. Why do we criminalize it?
18
@Diego
There should be no job in this country that a legal worker won't fill. Every job should pay enough, be structured such, that a legal worker will do it. Surely any supposedly compassionate liberal would agree with this conservative on this point.
21
This liberal agrees and is willing to put her money where her mouth is. I wonder how many people will balk at the increased costs associated with goods that are produced with those wages you describe.
3
@Kurfco - You might want to read some stories about farmers who are paying double the minimum wage but who still can't get U.S. citizens to do the work.
1
Trump walks into his rallies wearing suit from his "Trump Collection", manufactured in Mexico, a Trump tie made in China, and a shirt from Indonesia - all of which are made piecemeal so that the workers he hires end up working until an unrealistic quota has to be filled - rather than an hourly wage.
Undocumented workers can also get ripped off.
Is this surprising to anyone that Trump is so morally bankrupt he'd hire undocumented workers?
I just want to know if hiring people you don't even pay a minimum wage to or report on your tax returns is yet another act of fraud.
When are we going to see those tax returns.
12
Do you think there is a column on his tax returns for "monies paid out to illegal aliens"? Is there some law that he has to show his tax returns? Would YOU put your tax returns out to the public? I wouldn't. I'm not trying to hide anything, but how much I make is between the IRS and me.
2
So she will be the face of deportation now. What was she thinking?
What makes these illegal immigrants think if they come forward they will be forgiven & embraced by the country?
trump properties were one of the few who received H-1B visas for its workers. Other businesses had to do without. Go figure...conflicts of interest all around the White House.
10
Imagine if all the illegal immigrants just up and left their jobs one day. Would we have enough legal residents lined up to do their jobs? I think we all know those jobs couldn't be filled.
Imagine the dust that would collect. The overgrown grounds.
Once again Trump only hates immigration to rile up his base.
12
@Patsy They can ALL be filled. But at a higher wage.
8
@Patsy
That would be a great day as long as they stopped collecting any benefits from the US and they all left with their anchor babies who burden our school systems
5
OK, so this points a finger at the hypocritical Trump. But in this regard he is no different from the CEOs of any of the thousands of companies who look the other way in hiring illegal immigrants in order to get the cheapest and most compliant workers. Nobody really wants this "system" to change, and don't just blame the "greedy corporations;" the average consumer doesn't want to pay more for their roofing , landscaping, etc., or for the chicken and pork they buy at the grocery store. This article obviously aims a deserved but cheap shot at Trump, but he isn't really the source of the immigration situation any more than the rest of us. Nothing will change until employers (all of them) stop hiring people illegally. Our economy has been built this way over decades. Don't expect a quick fix.
5
@John you are right, he is no different than his peers with one huge difference, he is the current President of the United States. He could have spoken truthfully about his interactions with this issue. Instead he has chosen to blame the people with the least power and agency to make a change, and to describe them as an invading army to get more votes. The dissonance and hypocrisy of his behavior is unpleasant and disappointing.
1
he is the one whipping the nation into a frenzy about immigration fears all four political gain.
1
How sad is it when a domestic worker with 2 years of education and fake work papers clearly has more courage, more class, and far better ethics than our president?
27
Exactly how does she have more ethics? She was using fake ID.
4
@John Griswold She was lying for personal gain. She needs to leave.
2
“Amanda Miller, the company’s senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications, said in a statement. ‘If an employee submitted false documentation in an attempt to circumvent the law, they will be terminated immediately.’”
I wish the same standards applied to the Office of the Presidency of the United States.
16
I am in awe of this woman and her courage in speaking out and her principled stand against the hateful speech from Trump against Central Americans and Mexicans - which has inflamed racist/xenophobic attitudes towards them and emboldened and encouraged hateful speech and behavior. She is risking her livelihood, and deportation, in support of a greater cause.
She is now a hero and a civil rights icon.
I am in awe of you, Ms. Morales.
353
@Wendy
In awe of an admitted criminal, how nice for you.
BTW, criminals are not heroes, and illegal aliens are criminals. There are (should be) no civil rights for illegal aliens- those should be reserved for citizens, not invaders.
11
@Wendy--There is no hateful speech and you know it..
Wanting people, no matter where they are from to come in the legal way, IS NOT hateful speech..
Courage would be to do things the right way, Instead of being a criminal. An Illegal..
10
@Wendy
Why? Plenty of home grown Americans work for low wages -- do you shop at Walmart, eat fast food, use Uber?
She's no hero -- and Trump is a big user... frankly, should lose his job for hiring illegals. That she may be less than fluent in English is prob a plus.
6
The hilarity of this article is ,of course, the costal elites and the average citizen who are complicit in this charade as they also benefit from the exploitation of the undocumented in their daily lives!
15
@Steve - The "coastal elites" as you call them are aware of the situation. They're the ones advocating for humane treatment of these people but they're also the ones advocating for a living wage for U.S. Citizens.
1
Sure they are! They are doing so by advocating for open borders so more can come in and provide a reliable supply of inexpensive labor and "victims" for them to feel guilty about and do virtue signaling with their paeans for social justice. The employers ( small and large) in the coastal states as well as the "red states" are well aware of this dichotomy and exploit it to their advantage and to the disadvantage of American citizens.
3
@Steve
Coastal elites... what on earth does that even mean, Steve. I really don't know where Trump and his fans get off referring to people in, say, NY (where Trump Tower is located) as "coastal elites".
Have you ever been to NY, Steve?
It is no wonder that illegal immigrants are taking over the country. As we've heard from those absolving Trump and the business these poor and undereducated people with few resources, and not even enough money to purchase fake documents, were able to outwit the well educated business people, law enforcement, President, and officials; leaving them simply as helpless victims of these very clever people.
Right.
Bur keep reading: "The housekeeping supervisor frequently made remarks about the employees’ vulnerable legal status when critiquing their work, she said, sometimes calling them “stupid illegal immigrants” with less intelligence than a dog."
Obviously it was known.
12
It is the housekeeping supervisor who is “stupid”. Dogs are highly intelligent.
I hope the NYT will help her get a new job, because she will need one. This is incredibly brave of her to do. His arms are long and his vengeance legendary. Sadness for the workers will pay for their honesty. Pointing out Trumps hypocrisy is a full time job, too bad it seems to have no effect on the people who voted for him.
16
I wish I could say this shocks me but its just added to the disgraced woodpile of this presidency. The sooner he leaves office the better America will be.
16
'do as i say, not as i do'. astounding! hope ann coulter, sean hannity, rush limbaugh, and jeanine pirro don't have undocumented immigrants on their payroll....don't sweat it, donnie, the evangelicals still worship you....
14
These women are exactly what Americans should aspire to be - smart, hardworking, honest, tax payers. I sincerely hope they will start their own business - I will be first in line to hire them, or, better, work for them!
20
Immigrants come here because even surviving on poor paying jobs are better than where they came from. They will never stop trying to come even if we build a wall. The simple fact is as long as people are willing to hire them illegally, like our President, there is incentive to come. Penalize the employers of illegal immigrants and decrease opportunity for those seeking to enter the country illegally. Some people might have to pay more to have their house cleaned.
16
The only thing more contrived and conspiratorial than this situation is the one I now paint for you. As Christmas Time approaches Trump gathered his National Golf Club staff around him for their annual dinner. Trump arose from his chair and quieted the celebration. "I want to show you how much I appreciate your service and your loyalty," he announced. As a small token of what I can return to you, I'm giving each and every one of you a holiday vacation...you all are getting one-way tickets to anywhere in Honduras you want to visit.
6
Having lived in Arizona for 40 years, I have witnessed the exploitation and vilification of immigrants first hand. Entire industries have been wiped out or completely transformed because there are not enough workers to support the demand. Cases in point are landscaping and car washes, among many others. Thousands of hard working, kind, trustworthy people have been intimidated and pushed into the shadows. The hypocrisy of the Trump administration is sickening. The NYT should come out here and report on what they find.
28
there are plenty of beds in Guatemala that need to be made up.
9
Another example of how the rules that apply to us "little people" do not apply to the Trumps if it puts money in their pockets. I dread to see what will happen to this poor woman.
12
The Trumps will just claim that they didn’t know and cast themselves as victims, blaming the real victims.
11
@Marisa Leaf
I'm the real victim, my tax dollars support these criminals
1
The only surprise in this account is that Trump ever picked up a cleaning rag to wipe a window.
13
@Bklyncyclone - The make-up was pretty surprising too.
Trump's script that he recites at his rallies are merely props, empty of his own personal engagement or interest, used merely and sadly to gain a following. This is essentially equivalent to abuse. The hypocrisy here is staggering, yet it is also not surprising in the least given a president who has told so many fabrications, lies, and blown so many smoke screens that it is relatively impossible to find a fraction of an ounce of truth in any of it.
12
Good article and valid points. Still, this omits the other side of the equation: how is it that the Democrats have not been willing to strike any compromise on immigration when they had the chance? More importantly: how is it that Obama, when he was in firm control of Congress and the White House didn't even have immigration on his priority list? He could have passed comprehensive immigration reform, just like he passed ObamaCare, and likely with more support. He didn't. That was not accident: both parties are complicit in keeping the status quo going, because it allows them to score points with their base every two years -- on the back of people like Ms Morales, who are their pawns in this dirty game. Immigration is an extremely complex problem and there are always two sides to each story. Most Americans understand that and would be open to reasonable compromises: legalize people here for a long time without a criminal record, beef up broader security, oberhaul the legal immigration system, etc. But neither the Democrats nor the Republicans will risk giving the other side any credit -- nor will they risk losing that most powerful political football for future exploitation. It is the most classic example of our representatives not at all representing our interests.
21
@Steve Bannon
President Bush with a Republican Majority couldn't do it either.
The question isn't why couldn't it be done, the question is why is Donald Trump ginning up hate and anger over a manufactured crisis?
1
@Steve Bannon How is it more important what Obama did? This is an article about the lies and hypocrisy of the current president. This is about the dissonant behavior of a man who speaks about "hard working Guatemalans" and wipes the top of a window for his tiny, undocumented maid in private but describes people from her country as an invading army to gin up votes from his supporters in public. To save a few dollars he exploits the hard working efforts of people he describes as animals. He decries the presence of non documented people while benefiting directly from their presence. To criticize this woman is to ignore the vast differential in power and agency between her and her boss. The person with the vast wealth gets to choose who they hire to clean their toilet. Trump's failure to ensure that properly documented people clean and tend to him shows his own immoral and unethical failing and is unpleasant evidence of his greed.
@Steve Bannon
Your claim that Democrats have not made any effort to compromise is utter nonsense.
Although I'm not sure why anyone actually wants to beg in your presence, FACTS beg to differ. Not "alternative" facts - FACTS.
And as to your favorite scapegoat, former President Obama, I've noticed you are implying that when Congress held a Republican majority he could not hope for a compromise. Let me remind you that he was rather busy mitigating a financial crisis and actually achieved a lot more than you ever could.
BTW, how's that deficit spending going for your former boss. I've noticed his GOP sycophants in office - including Paul Ryan - are no longer upset about that kind of thing.
Besides talk radio, where've you been, Steve.
1
I hope NYT continues to follow Ms. Morales story after the inevitable visit from ICE or other immigration officials to deport or otherwise charge her for illegal entry to the US and disclosing details of the president's orange makeup. Further, since Your reporters encouraged Ms. Morales to disclose possible incriminating details, i believe the paper has a moral obligation to pay for her legal fees and other expenses incurred to protect her and her family from charges based on her statements in this story. It doesn't appear that the Times reporter gave Ms. Morales a Miranda warning.
13
@Mike Lannon She already had an I'm igration lawyer - this is all a calculated ploy to get some sort of legal status in the US.
Ask yourself what compelling reason there is for her to remain in the country? And if she can contrive to be a poster child for liberal Democrats why not try that?
It's disgusting to see this attempt at manipulation. She needs to go home.
2
Our undocumented worker conundrum is an intractable, slow-rolling crisis that doesn't allow for an easy solution. The undocumented have become, due to policy and convenience, an integral part of our nation's economy. The same people that vilify this immigrant community have no qualms accepting the benefits that accrue to their bottom line.
13
Fraud at trump university, failing to pay construction contracts, undocumented immigrants working at his golf courses and hotels, just how did anyone vote for this man as president. Shame on you.
16
This article should not have been published or the identities of the women should have been protected.
4
Hypocrisy and self serving corruption.
4
I am shocked! Shocked!
5
"That same year, she said, Mr. Trump had an outburst over some orange stains on the collar of his white golf shirt, which Ms. Diaz described as stubborn remnants of his makeup, which she had difficulty removing."
Maybe we should start calling him Revlon Don.
10
Please look to our legislators for responsibility and repair, as these problems developed, then festered. Immigration, like labor and health care, have been soundly owned by those elected and those appointed.
Trump merely rubs our collective noses deep, then recalls the scent of roses.
Let's see. One did the right thing and obtained her citizenship, one did not. It's not a problem of immigrants, it's a problem of illegal immigrants. All of our ancestors are immigrants but they are supposedly LEGAL. If you want to come to this country, don't sneak in or at least apply for citizenship.
16
Do you seriously think that if citizenship involved nothing more than filling out a form that every single undocumented person wouldn’t have done that already?
16
I wonder if the people on the Mayflower had their papers?
5
@SteveB
Not all, although there were several Native American tribes that were wiped out, not all of them were so to claim that "all" of our ancestors were illegal is a further insult to those who were and still are indigenous.
And speaking of indigenous, there are quite a few people who cross our border who can actually make that claim if you want to talk about the continent you are living on.
Also not all because a lot of immigrants in the colonial era came here by boat as indentured servants and upon landing jumped ship...
... which made them "illegal" immigrants.
Illegal immigrants and those here on work visas are 21st century slave labor in America. They have no rights, live in constant fear of deportation and are taken advantage of by their employers, the government, criminal organizations, and everyone else. It’s time to end this legal oppression and end slavery in America.
13
@Roy Crowe
Precisely. Deport all of the illegal aliens. Return them to the loving embrace of their country and kin, where they can breathe the exhilarating air of freedom. America wants no slaves.
10
@NorthernVirginia. deport those who hire and pay them, too
1
@mark
No, we don't deport American citizens.
However, a mandatory ten-day jail sentence for a first-time offender who knowingly hires an illegal alien would have the desired deterrent effect. When dear old Aunt Bea does time in county lockup for hiring an illegal alien to cut her lawn, nobody in town will ever again even contemplate hiring an illegal alien.
2
Ms. Morales is a gleam of light showing that, even within the castle keep, the mirage of Trump the Saviour is beginning to crumple. The "stupid, illiterate" Guatemalan woman has demonstrated, by her survival skills in an unforgiving world, her understanding of where she is and what she is doing, and her unswerving honesty and readiness to accept the consequences of her actions, to be a person of greater worth than her employer, who seems to have somehow missed the fact that we are all immigrants.
My mother is descended from settlers who came on the Mayflower, and I don't see her as any more American than my immigrant father who was, during WW2, an "enemy alien". Don't forget the status to which the "United States of America" (read:"Occupation Government of Mostly European Invaders") has relegated all of the unassimilated native Americans. My parents taught me to respect these incredibly patient people and their culture of great and simple wisdom, from whom "we" have taken possession of this land.
12
I guess trump and his organization forgot to use e-verify.
4
I saw a report on one of the local morning news programs this morning which basically said --
"As a result of a report in The New York Times yesterday, highlighting the employment of illegal immigrants at Donald Trump's golf course - the Trump organization has announced this morning that any employee discovered to be an undocumented and illegal immigrant working for the Trump organization will be fired" --
Good work New York Times --
And tomorrow - don't miss the Times' story about Victorina Morales' fight to prevent her from being deported --
8
Did you miss the part where she approached the NYT in full knowledge there would be consequences? She is a heroine highlighting the abuse that Trump piles on aspiring immigrants, and his hypocrisy.
3
Could itching powder in his pillow cases account for his hair loss?
3
Ironing towels???? Our president is either neurotic or enjoys demeaning other human beings by making them do ridiculous things just because he has the power to do so. Or both. And btw, despite all of those requirements, he still looks like a slob.
6
How wonderfully ironic that Trump is committing a crime by employing undocumented workers. Yes, as an employer he was suppose to run a check. His failure to do so is a crime. Lock him up, lock him up. LOL.
7
If she gets deported I hope someone will start a crowd funding page for her so that she has plenty of money to live a good life wherever she ends up-- I would be glad to contribute
8
It is amazing what American companies engage in, some decades ago, my cousin was released, let go, or terminated, what ever phrase or term applies, from her house keeping job at a major hotel, because she could not speak spanish. What I do not understand is why is it necessary to speak Spanish, when there was a process in place as to why we speak English in the United States of America.
In my opinion, what should really anger Americans is: 1. American companies seem to rather hire people that have come into the country illegally, pay them much less, than American workers, 2. Why are we speaking another langauge in this country other than English? We do not speak french to accommodate the French people that came here legally, we do not speak German, to accommodate the German people that came here leglly, nor do we speak any other language of any other group of people that came to the United States of America legally!!!
So it really does not suprised me, that some one like the lady the article is based on works for the president......oh, by the way....the cousin is white....so now you should have a clear picture of how American companies treat Americans in America.........
5
@Onekg Your cousin's experience is only one person's experience, and is not a symptom of "white oppression," as you seem to imply.
4
The hard copy headline read: "In America illegally and employed by Trump". A perfect encapsulation of how skewed the immigration conversation is, when the paper of record places the blame of illegality on the immigrant, but not on the hypocritical president, who has not only also broken the law, but done so while demonizing immigrants (legal and illegal).
Headlines matter. Words matter.
5
"That same year, she said, Mr. Trump had an outburst over some orange stains on the collar of his white golf shirt, which Ms. Diaz described as stubborn remnants of his makeup, which she had difficulty removing."
3
Earlier this year an individual was picked up in New Jersey by immigration for being illegal. Middlesex County refused the request to hold him and let him go. He moved to Missouri and murdered three people. The Times did not cover that story, but this article is front page. Why don't you write about the three dead people Ms. Jordan.
13
In most countries in the world, including her home country, she would be immediately arrested and deported. Only in this Nation with its upside down laws would an illegal immigrant show herself on a National newspaper and speak and still have a job. Nuts!!!!
14
@Qcell. So you still have not noticed this country's immigration policy appears to have been constructed long ago & survives still to benefit the most hypocritical & duplicitous. "We" simply elected the noisiest example
2
"Ms. Morales’s journey... took her from the southwest border, where she said she crossed illegally in 1999, to... New Jersey, where she was hired at the Trump property in 2013 with documents she said were phony."
She committed at least two crimes; a misdemeanor when she crossed the border illegally and a rather serious felony when she presented false documents.
Based on your reporting, she's certain to be fired now along with anyone else illegally employed by a Trump property. They should be, by the way.
She should be prosecuted, punished then deported. So should anyone else in the country illegally. That includes paperboys at the New York Times, dishwashers around the country and the janitors at the Clinton Foundation.
Thanks for the expose!
Perhaps you think your average readers are so dumb they infer complicity by the CEO of the holding company that owns the subsidiary that operates, and in many cases only licenses the brand name, with a fraudulently employed, illegal worker, in a menial position.
Any CEO of any company that has any illegal employees? LOCK THEM UP!!!
The real story ought to be about the IRS and Social Security Administration.
Illegal immigrants who use fake social security numbers draw a paycheck, they have taxes withheld and receive benefits. This requires interaction with agencies who obviously don't cross check legitimate social security numbers with fake ones.
11
@Johannes de Silentio Good point. What did she do for the 14 years she was in the country illegally before starting to work at the golf club?
3
Why do I get the feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg with Donald Trump and undocumented immigrants working slave wages under him?
I can't help wonder when the sexual abuse claims come out too.
3
@Chico I hate to have to break it to you, but this is NOT the only organization that has this situation. It is a huge issue.
Do some research: read about the Cloverhill Bakery in Chicago. Using "agencies" that bakery was employing illegal immigrants with impunity. Once that was cleared up there were more than a few jobs opened up for legal US residents.
2
NYT please do not drop the ball on this story as has been so often when interests move on to something else. Let us know if they are fired or deported and even then what happens to them wherever they go. They deserve this at least for their courage and we deserve the truth about our abusive immigration system
6
Is Trump phony?
(stupid question)
5
this is a good story about a very courageous woman.
2
God bless her for speaking up. I fear for her safety.
3
The use of false papers is what makes it easier for an illegal immigrant to obtain a job at US companies. The only way to stop this is to implement E-VERIFY.
But even that has loopholes in it. This woman should be deported immediately. We need to ensure that when any immigrant is issued legitimate work papers that these papers have some sort of seal on them which can not be copies to create false papers.
It is through the use of false documents that illegal immigrants scam the system an obtain jobs that should go to US citizens.
10
Without undocumented immigrants, this country’s service industry would paralyze. They perform jobs no one else is willing to do. One never encounters a person with blue eyes and blond hair cleaning hotel rooms, hospital rooms, or work in the fields. If they become documented it would be a win win situation.
As for unducomented immigrants working in Mr. Trump’s golf club, nothing surprises me anymore.
4
@BB You know, skin color, complection and eye color do not denote a person's citizenship. Many illegal immigrants look like you and me. That's why we expect to provide proof of citizenship via an I9 form for employment.
2
So are all these workers set to lose their jobs?
2
If these women are deported, the lives they've established here are destroyed; they're sent back to abject poverty and possibly death, for them and/or their families. The company, on the other hand, receives a "fine" that is the equivalent of paying a parking meter. The company then merely hires more undocumented workers from a large pool of hungry candidates; after all, the work they provide more than makes up for that pesky "fine."
Meanwhile, Americans who are vehemently opposed to illegal immigration and those dirty immigrants feel justified and satisfied in their hatred. They demand a wall, demand mass deportations, demand harsher penalties for these individuals; while they simultaneously venerate American enterprise and the billionaire's skill and intelligence to amass such great material fortune.
3
@Gustav Aschenbach As another comment pointed out, there are beds to be made in any country. She has a transferrable job skills now.
1
Hypocrite-in-chief President Trump and his base political use undocumented foreign workers for the economic benefit of paying a low wage.
Without the labor of the undocumented the price of dairy, vegetables and any service or product requiring manual stoop labor would be much more expensive.
I hope that Victorina Morales' attorney establishes a GoFundMe account to pay her attorney fees.
How many of the unemployed in Trump's political base would take any of these jobs? 06/25/18 CBS News "...the Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of the nation's farmworkers are unauthorized, while 15 percent of those in construction lack papers – more than the share of legal immigrants in either industry. In the service sector, which would include jobs such as fast food and domestic help, the figure is about 9 percent."
According to the Pew Research Center, there were 11.3 million illegal immigrants living in the United States in 2016. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported in February 2016 that they are paying annually an estimated $11.64 billion in state and local taxes, on average an estimated 8 percent of their incomes. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Released February 24, 2016.]
3
Not too long ago when masses of Irish people came to the 'friendly' United States, they faced incredible odds from the not so friendly Americans who were already here. Racism, outright bigotry and vicious, undeserved violence.
This current day xenophobia had to come from someplace. It didn't just 'happen'... We learn from our actions. Words mean nothing any longer. The news cycle doesn't factor our own tainted history into the equation.
3
Please keep the NYT readers apprised of Ms. Morales' status as this article is read and digested by our president.
I do hope she will not be deported after being here for almost 20 years.
6
There are approximately 11 Million illegal immigrants in the US, about 8 Million of those are employed. They are employed by good ole American farmers, building contractors, hotels/motels, transportation companies, landscapers, tree farms and Donald Trump. Building The Wall is a folly, waste of taxpayer money, go after those Americans that illegally hire them. Eliminate the jobs and they will not come. Then the immigration system will get fixed.
5
Sixty eight per cent of human trafficking is supplying labor in the USA. Twenty two per cent go to the sex trade. It is a 43 billion dollar a year business. Russia and China are the biggest beneficiaries of this trade. Is it clear now , why Trump wants to seal the borders and stop illegal immigration ? Always follow the money and in Trumps case, pay attention to what Russia has to gain.
1
Seems to me The Donald was a pretty good boss, big tips mean a lot. I know one person in the personal service business that in the early nineties he advised on opening a Salon which became enormously successful, so he can be a generous guy. A funny story, I called Mar a Lago in the nineties to speak with my friend who had come from New York with the Trumps to attend to their hairdressing needs and Donald accidentally answered the phone, he spen5 the next ten minutes trying to track down Fredric( Mar a Lago is a very big place), then offered to take my name and phone number and so began another ten minute search for a pen and paper, I could hear drawers opening and closing and much walking around but he found the pen and paper graciously wrote down my name and number and Fredric late called, so as with most people but especially New Yorkers, there is more than one side to them the side they project to survive that place and the other side they reserve for personal acquaintances. I’m certainly not making an excuse for the President, he really disappointed me on the tax cuts for the rich stuff, and it was nice to hear from Ms. Morales personal experiences although I think it’s a cheap shot to sue someone who has admittedly been nice too you.
9
So the illegal immigrants were all documented. They got paid the same as everyone else. What is this story trying to say? Trump got fooled by managers that broke the law? The managers were seeking fake papers for the workers? Plenty of people here legally do not speak good English. This story has no point.
6
@Mark How could Trump get fooled? He is the head of the organization - the buck stops with him. As usual, his defenders will excuse his greed, bigotry, and ignorance.
5
@Deb Pascoe Its obvious that there was a campaign to falsify employment by the management staff. If the managers conspired with the employees to falsify employment records, I really do not see where Trump was complicit. He has no advantage in having employed illegal immigrants. He was not paying them less.
6
@Deb Pascoe First off I am not a supporter, but how is this an example of greed? He was not paying these people any less, and they had fake papers. There is a whole industry that thrives of undocumented workers because it can pay them just a few dollars per hour. This is not the case here. If you are working with fake documents, to your employer you are legal. They even made her get new documents and the manager took her to get new fakes. How is Trump doing anything wrong or profiting?
3
There are no surprizes here. It is a pity that the status of the President, and the intervening multiple corporate cutouts -why do you think they are there, folks? -- prevent his criminal prosecution. Hopefully those who voted for this liar in the mistaken belief he was going to fix their employment problems, which have very little to do with illegal immigration, but a great deal to do with greedy liars in high places, will come to their senses by 2020.
1
Yes, Trump has exploited undocumented immigrants -- not so much by hiring them, but by using them in his demagogic appeal for votes. He knew he could scapegoat them as the source of our economic and societal ills and win the undying loyalty and devotion of a certain type of person. Trump knows: Demagoguery is how you fool some of the people all of the time.
1
It's been reported multiple times since Trump decided to run for president that the Trump Organization employs illegal immigrants. This is not news. Each time, they have issued their denials, their equivocations, their claims of innocence. They are just one of many employers who continue to employ workers with questionable documentation. While ICE batters down the doors of the homes of people who come into the country illegally, employers like Trump continue to offer the jobs that keep these poor people coming here. While Trump rants at his rallies of the faithful, his company breaks the law. ICE should be storming into the headquarters of companies like Trump's instead of into the homes of the workers. There are penalties for companies that employ illegal workers, but those penalties are rarely used. It doesn't look good to fine and/or jail employers, and it's easier to demonize the workers. Trump's "Organization" should be investigated and fined once and for all. It should be treated the same way that the workers are treated--demonized and vilified. Maximum fines should be issued, executives jailed and it should be held up as an example of Trump's hypocrisy for all the world to see.
365
@Ms. Pea I share your frustration at the hypocrisy, but this sort of rage you express could cause a lot of collateral damage. I would rather see amnesty for Ms Morales, immigration reform, asylum for refugees and pathways to citizenship for more people. Punishing the companies will only punish the workers. Legalize them. They are here and we need them.
5
@Ms. Pea There is no doubt that illegal immigration would be less of a problem - if there wouldn’t be jobs available for the undocumented workers. Millions to be precise...and who is benefiting the most from these low wage and no rights workers: the “owner’s class” that is exclusively served by the current administration and that is the sole reason why nobody is really going after the employers. But what is often missing in these discussions: many of the illegal immigrants have exceptional skills and work really hard - and granting them a legal status - be it as temporary/ seasonal worker or something comparable - would only be fair.
4
@mary bardmess I think of it this way: if they go after the employers seriously, we will have more employers pushing back against draconian immigration policies, because they want cheap labor. That could be a political impetus for effective immigration reform. If we don't do anything, and employers keep accidentally-on-purpose hiring undocumented immigrants, we're going to stay in the steady state where immigrants are the ones being disparaged, and there's no real push from those with money for positive immigration reform.
6
Heartfelt Thanks to Ms. Morales for her courage in speaking out. I can't even imagine the peril she and her undocumented workers at The Don Con's ill-gotten properties will have to endure.
In my mind she and all the other patriotic people who are taking the blindfolds off the corruption that has invaded OUR United States of America governments at all levels - even the top - are the most heroic people in centuries.
WE THE PEOPLE - average people across America - must find the same kind of courage and take action to stop it. OUR lives depend on it.
3
There is an old saw about making one's bed and then lying in it. Trump doesn't make his own bed but lies about it anyhow. I hope that these women will not have to pay the Trump price for truth-telling, their deportation. He should give them a presidential medal of freedom and an apology, but we know that won't happen.
8
I’m not surprised at all to hear this. I’m glad he’s not a jerk to his household staff, though. Although Trump is not the most introspective person, I hope this makes him give some thought to what really makes America great. Immigrants.
By the way, from an immigrant housewife, eye makeup remover will get those orange makeup stains out.
8
I don't think people realize it is a crime to have false documents on them especially a social security card. If they do not have documents on them at a time then they have not violate any law, are free to go and can go about their daily lives. This is why elementary, high school and the federal government no longer as for documentation because it would be a violation of federal law and would be a crime.
For example, one is no long asked to provide documentation when filing a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They no longer ask for social security numbers, driver licenses, etc. as an identifiable source of the person says who they are. If she wins her discrimination complaint she will walk away with thousands to hundreds of thousands and are deported back to their country of origin, but with $$$. However, did they flee the country to begin with because of the violence, gangs, drugs, threats to family, corruption, poverty? If this is the case, why does only a few come up to the USA because of the loop holes in the system.
Likewise, the eVerify system is used by 7% of employees.
At the end of the day comes down to $$$. In the words from the movie Toby McGuire "So me the money"! If one doesn't believe it's not about the money, than ask her about how much her attorney makes out of this deal, standard fees 33-44% and how did the New York Times pay here for article? It's all about the money.
4
Yes it’s about the money. The lousy pay these workers are getting that no or very few Americans would work for. Working hard and sweating, cleaning and scrubbing for $10 an hour (and the women considered that a step up from working in motels / hotels).
The employers know that Americans won’t do that kind of work, especially for that pay, and need somewhat desperate immigrants to eagerly take those positions.
3
Ms. Morales entered this country illegally and used false documentation to get a job. Everything else in her story proceeds from those facts.
13
@Larry Yes, everything. She was hired by an organization headed by a man who demonizes illegal immigrants - well, the ones with brown skin. She works her tail off for menial wages cleaning for a mercurial germophobe who tips well for a job well done but has a tantrum when his orange makeup stains his shirts.
She's doing a job that few Americans want to do, or would do well.
It's common knowledge that the hospitality industry has more immigrants and probably more undocumented immigrants than any other. If Trump wants to have only 'lawful' immigrants in the US, he should set an example and make all his properties shining examples of what he envisions. Of course, then those properties would collapse because there would be no one to do any of the manual labor. And, if Trump wants to round up illegals, why doesn't he just send ICE to all his properties in the US?
5
Heavens! This reads like a twenty first century version of "The Help"! Trump the "successful businessman" indeed.
1
People who live in the area of the "Summer White House" have known for years that 90% of the seasonal staff are undocumented.
7
When will Democrats, Republicans, the NYT and a plethora of its readers recognize reality: we are a nation of laws and without laws we are doomed. At the same time we need workers; nevertheless we see advocates left and right screaming for open borders. That is clearly not the solution. Criticize Trump all you want but also recognize that he is the only US President in recent history who recognizes a need to solve this problem legally. That is most likely the single most reason he now sits in the White House so cut him some slack and respect those who put him there. Slinging arrows from ivory towers and wringing our hands are pathetic responses.
10
I wonder how many undocumented immigrants worked on all of Trump's (building) construction projects over the years. "Do as I say not as I do." - Donald Trump
6
Ever since 41 died, I have pondered what in the world they will find to say about 45 at his funeral some day. Finally - something. He slipped an undocumented worker some extra cash! Who would have thought the one nice thing that could be said would be about him a undocumented worker!
3
I think this column should have been a primer on why Immgration Reform needs to be on the front burner in Washington, not some sort of expose.
It actually reads more like a gossip column than a hard news column.
4
Is Victorina Morales a Rosa Parks for the Trump Era?
2
How could you make excuses after all these years of nothing but talk?
For 50 years or more that illegal employers actually invited them to sneak in by giving everyone of them a job. How many illegal employers have had huge fines and long jail sentences . Nobody would sneak into this country if they could not get a yob and would just sneak in and rot. We have a history of giving a job to every person that shows up and works very very very cheap. So blaming the desperate uneducated is nuts blame the movers & shakers who are inviting them in.
4
Now that we have identified these illegal immigrants, they should be arrested and deported immediately. There can be no tolerance for this sort of illegal behavior.
5
@DRS But who will scrub the orange makeup stains out of Trumps shirts?
2
@DRS
But, but, but...who will iron Donald's white boxers? And wash away his makeup stains?
1
The article seems to be using these immigrants to show what a big hypocrite Trump is. Most wealthy Republicans stand on the soap box and ridicule undocumented immigrants while hiring them for low level jobs which Americans are too proud to do. And then they say the immigrants are “taking all the jobs.”
Wealthy Democrats are also not blameless, but at least they don’t denigrate immigrants for political gain. So yes, that Trump would use immigration as a wedge issue while hiring undocumented immigrants is the height of hypocrisy, although his supporters hold their noses and repeat the chant “make America great again.”
242
@Oliver Ummmm did you miss the part where she had fake documents? if she didn't have fake papers she wouldn't have got the job.
9
@Oliver As long as duplicating credentials is easy to do, you are going to have illegal immigrants obtaining work using false papers. We must create a way to provide immigrants who are entitled to work, with legitimate papers which can not be so easily duplicated as currently the case.
9
@Oliver
You're wrong! His supporters most certainly do NOT hold their noses. They are all in.
17
I don't know why everyone is surprised by this, it has been a way of life for the wealthy for a very, very long time. Of course, because of all their wealth, you will never see ICE raid their homes for harboring illegals.
5
Great article.
1
Mr. Trump should apply the same level of care and dedication to his position as president of the United States that is demonstrated by Ms. Morales employed at his Bedminster Golf Course. Then perhaps we could have a truly remarkable president. However given his comments concerning the forecasted TRILLION dollar deficit, that it won’t be on his watch (2020), we learn that Mr, Trump cares more about the dust on furniture at his golf course than the economy and livelihood of the country and citizens he represents. Despicable is not a strong enough word.
8
Dear Mr. trump, which of your executive staff at your clubs needs to be fired for their lack.if diligence in the hiring process?
6
My concern is whether the Times has put this woman at risk by exposing her. The President could care less and all you have done with this article is confirmed, once again, what everyone knows about Donald Trump. But at what cost to a hard working woman>
6
@Tarragon!
I agree with you re. your concern. My initial response to this article was that it reads like a gossip column that reveals very little that we didn't already know. With the exception of the 45th's tipping the help. But, much more importantly, this article places those employees interviewed and all their peers, in danger of immediate dismissal and most likely, deportation. I am no fan of the 45th, but I have to ask four questions of the NYTimes:
1. Was this article really worth it?
2. What does this article accomplish?
3. What was your motivation for writing it?
4. Are you going to follow up and let your readers know what happens to the individuals you interviewed?
2
@Dan Salerno
Dan, very well stated. Completely agree.
1
Out here in my country, 'immigrants' from neighbouring states come over to our state to do 'menial jobs' that 'guys from our state' will not be 'interested' in doing.
And so local businessmen cite, as reason, that if our 'guys' are not 'interested', they have no choice but to hire 'immigrants from neighbouring states' for those jobs.
Cut back to the article. One of your businessmen who used to hire 'immigrants' has become President and is now raising his voice against 'illegal immigration'. Thats also a part of his job.
At least when your 'businessman' gets 'elected' as 'President', he is bothered enough by the 'law of the land' as to speak out the against the practice at large, though as a businessman, he may not have cleaned up his business firm for taking advantage of the same. However he has not targeted other business firms for hiring illegal immigrants, right ?
Come on, I know he is an opportunist. He saw his chance at becoming the President and there was enough 'public opinion' in favour of the 'policies' he is recommending, more with an eye on getting elected; and it worked for him. At least he is sticking to the guys who got him elected though even they seem to be bothered by his style of functioning and especially his comments.
If only he stopped 'talking' on social media...maybe there would not be this complete negativity about him.
3
Given she works long hours and tries to pay her taxes whereas trump doesn’t seem to work very long hours and thinks it’s smart to avoid paying taxes, couldnt we find a way to keep her and deport him?
1417
@WCB
Thank you for a good laugh. Your suggestion is also excellent as a serious proposal.
70
@WCB The Times checked Mrs. Morales papers and they are forged so how does she pay taxes? After all these years of being here illegally they still don't speak English? This is a scam to win a lawsuit claiming workplace abuse and discrimination which will cost taxpayers more money.
7
@Carmen In order for the club to issue a paycheck to Ms. Morales they would need a tax ID number from her. Tax ID numbers are issued to foreigners working in the US. It is not a Social Security number. It allows the government to take taxes out of the paycheck of the worker. There are many kinds of jobs here in the US that are filled by foreign workers who work here legitimately.
I do not believe this is a scam.
22
Reading the article and the comments, I have three reactions:
1. If a person travels 1000 miles to another country to seek a better life, finds work, is good enough at her job to serve the president of the United States then that is the kind of person I want in this country. If she is not allowed in, that is a failure of our laws, and our laws should be revised.
2. The integrity of a corporation is set at the top. If deviations from policy (or law) are not tolerated, they will not happen. If the resort manager and housekeeping manager are fired for lax hiring practices in housekeeping, the new managers will be real careful. Perhaps President Trump did not know that there were undocumented workers, but he set the "don't ask-don't tell" atmosphere of the company,
3. I think a fast, efficient e-verify is a reasonable requirement to put on a company doing hiring. Beyond that one-time check, I think the task of enforcing our laws should should go to law enforcement. A company should not have to become expert in determining the validity of birth certificates or SS cards. If a company has done an e-verify, they have done their due diligence. If they have not done an e-verify, they should be held liable for hiring undocumented workers.
9
For everyone's information- Many of the jobs that undocumented people are doing are NOT low paid. Many of these people work 6 and 7 days a week, often for more than half the day.
Reliable, hardworking, seemingly unstoppable.
I just wanna point that out, 'cause people often mention low pay in their comments. It's (low pay) not always the factor why these people have these jobs.
And yes, there are lots of hard working American citizens.
I know a lot of both.
5
@ggallo And we have unemployed and under-employed American workers who could have those jobs.
3
"Mr. Trump has made border security and the fight to protect jobs for Americans a cornerstone of his presidency, from the border wall he has pledged to build to the workplace raids and payroll audits that his administration has carried out."
Except when he really needs the help and a vulnerable, low pay undocumented type like Mrs. Morales is around.
3
Wow, a Trump employee with the courage to reveal her tax returns and Trump himself actually performing 10 seconds of manual labor assisting another person. Events which should merit headlines by themselves.
7
A courageous woman with integrity.
2
This isn't even news worthy. It happens all over the country, even here in Kentucky factories.
Employers should be punished for hiring illegals, plain and simple.
9
Including Trump, then, right?
10
@Betty Boop It would be the golf club as the employer.
2
This is the ultimate example of Trump's hypocrisy and racism. Ms. Morales should be granted U.S. citizenship immediately for exposing this charlatan of a president for what he is.
12
@Christy It's also an example of the hypocrisy of Trump supporters. If this were the Obamas or the Clintons, never mind Trum's lifelong routine of hiring undocumented workers, these same people defending Trump as "not knowing" would have exploded in rage and fingerprinting.
5
Very good NYTS and Miriam, in your zeal to hurt Trump and run this story you totally took advantage of Ms. Morales and her co-workers. She will not be in her job this time next year and she may very well get deported. Collateral damage?
8
The article states she knows about the risks and still wants to talk. So there. More integrity then the guy she works for.
6
@BrickHouse It is the job of the free press to expose the truth. Some people have the courage to help expose the truth even though they do so at great personal risk. I applaud, respect, and commend this woman. She is a role model far more worthy than our hypocrite president.
1
My polish housekeeper arrived here in 1994
Her visa expired
Her fake Russia lawyer gave her revised papers in 2007
These documents were fake
When ICE arrested my dear friend and helper I took legal measures to control her estate
She paid payroll taxes , had an accountant complete yearly tax returns and worked 3 jobs.
She had a checking and savings account and cash in a bank lock box.
She was an upstanding resident without legal papers ,because of our stupidity ,in finding pragmatic sponsorship solutions.
Instead we have ICE and border concentration camps
Trump should be punished at some future point before he dies of heart disease , dementia and old age.
Donnie’s parents get an F in child rearing
And of course his daddy was his mentor / crook
Why didn’t his organization become a sponsor for immigrants instead of hiring them and abusing them. ?
He is a moving ball of hate on fire
17
These two women have more courage than Trump has in one hair follicle.
8
@Virginia Or, put correctly, these women have more courage in one hair follicle than Donald Trump has in his entire cavernous, bottomless ego.
1
Mrs. Morales is New Jersey lawyer Anibal Romero's meal ticket. What immigration lawyer would think sanctioning a NYT exposé, raising Trump's ire, and exploring a lawsuit serves her client's best interests? The Times motivation isn't all rainbows and kittens either. Alot of folks are now licking their chops at Mrs. Morales' expense.
14
LOL..This takes the cake. Undocumented Immigrant now has lawyer to possibly sue for workplace abuse while abusing both her workplace and the U.S. by using fraudulent documents. I guess she's at least a honorary American for the unmitigated gall.
This country needs immigrants from all over the world. But we need people doing it the right way. Journalists and politicians need to stop soft pedaling the issue with terms like "undocumented" and call it what it is ILLEGAL and spits in the face of the many legal immigrants I know that have done it right way .
With luck, these ladies will get a multi-million dollar discrimination settlement further illustrating the "New American Way".
13
Did you hear about the guy who claimed that he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue in NYC and get away with it? It's true.
14
I’d hate to see or have to deal with the crumpled mess of his bed.
Good for her. And encourage more to speak up and dust him off.
2
Interesting article, but how did the Times get Morales to come forward for this story? Was she promised citizenship in exchange for her interview? Also, it states that Morales had documents at the time of being hired, albeit phony. Employers trust that documents presented to them are valid.
6
Does this mean we could see an ICE raid on the Trump properties?
7
this brave woman is telling her story to expose lies and hypocrisy. trump and his organization will claim ignorance, so nothing will come of it, except that she will be fired and maybe even deported. who will protect her? what will she and her family do now? she has no power, and those who do have no spines.
4
Great article. Now no one should be thinking that Trump's supporters will now all come to their senses. Fake News! is what they'll cry. But slowly, oh-so-torturously-slowly, the ground under him is eroding. He can't afford to lose any more support but lose support he will. Slowly, as I've already said.
At some point he may well try something dramatic. Declare a National Emergency and try to scare us into submission. That will be the time to flood the streets.
To all the negativists who insist that Democratic politicians are all cowards I say you are so wrong. The leading Democrats will stand with the people. So will the military. (Attacking Admiral McRaven was an insanely stupid thing to do).
I almost hope he tries something because then we will be able to execute him
This is the hypocrisy of the American Plutocrat. Bring in illegal immigrants to replace American workers, then tell the American workers the immigrants stole their jobs and they need to elect the plutocrat puppet candidate to get rid of them.
7
She’ll soon lose her job then. Well done, NYT. Great achievement there, guess. Proud of a job well done?
Sigh.
5
Read the article. She was aware of the risks.
2
Growing up in NJ it’s a fact of life to hire a Hispanic person. Who mows your lawn? Does the landscaping? Who cleans your home? Who washes dishes in your fancy restaurants.
Not a ‘white’ person. Nope. They’d never work for so little money.
But a marginalized group, struggling against forces beyond our ‘white’ understanding?
Just visit the area around the Morristown Train Station in the morning. You’d think it was legal to hire a day laborer. Who, is not. White.
5
Victoria Morales and Sandra Diaz are more qualified to be president then our actual president.
4
So, it's Trump's fault that illegal immigrants defrauded him? If he doesn't let them storm the border, they are complaining that he doesn't let them work. If he lets them work and gives $50-100 tips, they are complaining b/c they don't like what he says on TV. Only in America.
7
Says a guy who probably came to the USA as refugee from Soviet Union and now wants to pull up the ladder from others. Say hi to another refugee descendant Stephen Miller would yeah? You don’t get to give refugee status to some people and not the others when the reality is that people from Latin America countries are facing more violence than you or Miller’s ancestors ever did.
1
I feel bad that her lawyer, Ms. Jordan and the Times decided to take advantage of this woman for a story and/or quick buck. Saying she approached the Times and understands the consequences doesn't cut it. Its obvious this woman will likely face deportation or worse now.
7
I wonder if she's being paid under the table in cash.
4
So what's the point? I entered, lived, and worked in the US illegally, and I'm an ingrate?
8
Trump has always been hiring illegal immigrants and then stiffing them, so the only surprise in this article is that he takes a few minutes off from his usual tirades against them.
1
Miriam Jordan’s excellent report of President Trump’s self-serving hypocrisy is especially disturbing given that less than 40 days ago eleven of my people were killed at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The President’s behavior contributed substantially to the largest US act of anti-Semitic violance. Specifically, the gunman explained his behavior as necessary because of the synagogue’s support for HIAS. This/ our refugee organization, following the dictates of Jewish law, welcomes refugees. The “caravan” of refugees recently gassed at the Mexican border are escaping horrable conditions in Honduras and El Salvador.
These are refugees whose quest for safety and freedom have caused them to endure substantial hardships equivalent to those my father Isadore endured before World War I. Then, later to be supported by HIAS, my father escaped from a Russian progrom where the government promoted widespread slaughter of Jews.
The Czar insisted my father somehow was involved in the killing of Christ. Now, Czar Trump—using his own brand of despicable rhetoric—insists again.
http://www.joelsolkoff.com/rose-mallinger-97-was-the-eldest-of-the-11-members-of-pittsburghs-conservative-congregation-killed-in-the-worst-anti-semitic-attack-in-us-history/
2
This completely floors me. So, you enter illegally because you do not want to be in your country even though Guatemala is not a country in war or under political oppression.
You lie yourself into work and are upset because the President has taken the position to enforce the country laws.
This sounds to me like a media ploy!
There is always a way back to Guatemala.
13
Th President enforces the law in the country but not in his businesses. Don’t you see the hypocrisy here? And, Trump is not enforcing the law...he is creating a gripping reality show at the border by grinding the process to a halt. If Trump wanted to fix immigration he would work on legislation, diplomacy/aid in Mexico and Central America and enforce e-verify which his businesses clearly don’t use.
And lastly...he could fund social security to immediately flag mismatched or unmatched numbers...it would be so easy but then it would cost SS $10 billion from people they will never have to pay benefits to.
2
Americans laugh at the hypocrisy and irony!
Well not all Americans since Trump will say he didn't know she was illegal or some other lie (the 8,126th?) which Fox talking heads will regurgitate and MAGA folks will blindly accept.
So SAD!
1
The very wealthy know perfectly well that the immigrants they employ to maintain their lavish lifestyles are often illegals, but they also know that they are safe as long as they comply with the letter of the law, and can forget about these disposable human beings once it's expedient. After all, exploiting others is usually how they got wealthy in the first place.
3
I admire their courage in profile, God bless them. But this is actually nothing new. Many years ago, group of undocumented immigrants employees in Trump tower NY filed a class action suit for unpaid back wages. Also he uses HB2 visa to import foreign Haitian workers in Mara Lago. The man is a shameless hypocrite and a fraud.
4
Dear commenters,
Let those who have never hired a suspected illegal or paid a vendor in cash cast the first stone.
Dream
7
@Dream Weaver - Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood each paid a professional price for hiring undocumented workers and then they each were denied Attorney General jobs during the Clinton administration. It seems to me that our current President has a looser vetting process for his closest advisors. Your post that suggests two wrongs make a right and you underestimate the honesty and fairness that exists.
2
Still trying to figure out why during 8 years of Obama presidency nothing was done to help people like this women, an undocumented immigrant, to cost effectively secure legal status in the US.
1
Because Congress was republican for six of those eight years with the goal to accomplish nothing. The GOP did not want Obama to have any successes.
7
@ Just sayin' There was a bill that passed in the senate, and there were enough votes in the house to pass, but John Boehner would not bring it up for a vote citing "the Hastert rule." This rule says that a vote cannot be taken if there is not a majority of the majority. So, because more Democrats in the house were in favor than Republicans, Boehner did not bring it up for a vote. Hooorray; one less win for Obama!!!!!!
2
No surprise here the republicans have always been hypocrites. Do as I say not as I do. They lie cheat and steal. I have to say I can relate to her. We sweat it out too as well as put up with his constant humiliation and if he can’t watch over tens of thousands how could he possibly watch over a nation of 325 million? Simple he can’t and it shows.
1
Trump's hypocrisy and racism is disgusting. At the same time, illegal immigration is a terrible fact that can't be euphemistically buried by labelling people "undocumented."
There are some fundamental facts cannot be wished away.
1) Many millions of people currently live in abject poverty, under terrifying regimes. Each of them rationally wants better lives for themselves and their children. Living in the United States while breaking current US immigration laws is, no matter what the hardship, means a better life.
2) The US cannot accept all of the many, millions of people who wish to live her without a significant reduction in the standard of living of the average citizen, with cultural and political disruptions.
3) United States policies have disrupted the economies and politics of many of the countries from which people want to come to the United States. For example, US Government subsidies provided to US corn producers destroyed the corn production market in Mexico, displacing huge numbers of agricultural laborers. Simultaneously, the agribusiness came to employ millions of the displaced workers, paying them lower wages than they would have to have paid citizens. This also suppressed unionization. At the level of large scale farming, the corporations would prefer to legalize the situation with "guest worker" programs that provide them with low cost labor (that would still undercut unionization) without citizenship that would give them political power.
242
Great analysis
24
@eben spinoza
Your #3 needs to be pages longer with details about united fruit company, Iran /Contra and the war in Nicaragua, the advisors we had in Guatemala when 150,000 mayans were killed, the war on drugs, on and on. Our oversized influence has set the stage for extremely dangerous living in those nations. We are a major causing force in this. Thanks for your thoughts
45
@eben spinoza
Add to your #3 that much of the drug violence in Mexico and Central America that forces "caravans" of desperate immigrants to flee towards the U.S. southern border, is fueled by American demand for the drugs.
30
Thank you, Ms. Diaz and Ms. Morales. You are very brave women and give me hope for America.
5
This is not news.
There is a flea market between Naples and Ft Myers where by going to a certain booth, you can purchase, YES, right out in the open, what appears to be a Florida drivers license and a social security card.
There are 1,000’s of maids and yard men employed here in Collier County by private country clubs and corporate hotels in addition to those employed by individuals.
YES, when filling out the government required I9 form, employers are required to request documents that attest to ones eligibility for employment but the loophole provided is this: EMPLOYERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OG THE DOCUMENTS.
How convenient.
8
You may have missed the point. They work for Trump! The rest of the country knows we need these workers to do all the stuff most Americans WILL NOT DO!!!!
Brave people to stand against our hypocritical POTUS!
1
Good luck hiring Americans to replace Ms. Morales at a time of a labor shortage. The dirty little secret is working illegal Americans are today's version of slavery. Falsify your papers, get an employer who needs your labor (wink, wink), work menial or back breaking jobs under the threat of deportation, accept minimal poverty wages, pray you don't get sick or injured.
Our labor laws should place value on those capable of doing the work, be they migrant workers or housekeepers. We desperately need a guest worker program for the 8 million proven workers capable of doing the job. Maybe the finicky Mr. Trump will need to offer better wages to attract workers who gave the attention to the details that Ms. Morales will no longer able to provide.
5
This is not a surprise. The surprise is it to so long for the story to come out.
2
his very existence makes me very sad....
3
No surprise, I bet this is common at all Tramp properties, as well as his construction business.
Do as I say not as I do.
3
So the excuse from Trumpers is that Trump doesn’t hire everyone for his hotels.
The man can’t vet his own staff, but we’re supposed to hand over billions of dollars for a wall?
I smell a slush fund.
3
Illegal immigration is nothing short of free will slavery and this is exactly why neither Democrats nor Republicans want to do anything about it. It soothes US needs for a cheap labor without consequences. No wonder people who employ illegal immigrants the most are the ones lobbying for stricter immigration laws so that they can better exploit those poor people.
4
@Anna
Try reading the new Marriott union agreement.
1
"Ms. Morales presented as proof that she was entitled to work — a permanent resident card, or green card, and a Social Security card, both of which she said she purchased from someone in New Jersey who produced counterfeit documents for immigrants."
These are felonies citizens would be prosecuted for. Break immigration laws and somehow you are exempt from laws citizens are held accountable for? Why should Ms. Morales, and those who sell fake federal documents, be exempt from laws citizens are prosecuted for?
9
Immigration
Just stop
A first grade class could be more pragmatic about a logical system for port of entry to work.
Mean spirited scapegoating
Does trump know how to use a vacuum or clean his own bathroom?
Can he boil water?
Vote him out 2020 and be ready for a civil war with southern hate mongers and rich elites everywhere.
None of their devious machinations are going to evaporate.
3
Ms. Morales spoke to the Times because she was bringing an abuse case against a Trump company. The TImes reporter barely even mentioned that case and probed her undocumented status instead, which will surely result in her being fired. You might conclude that the reporter exploited Ms. Morales for a good story.
6
Sigh...Just another example of Donald Trump's policy of "do as I want" but I will do as I darn well please.
2
The president said he employs about 10,000 people at his golf courses, resorts, etc. Will all the undocumented workers among them be identified and discharged, as he now threatens? And is it a crime for his employees to provide fake green cards, as the story reports? His businesses depend on them. Without them, they would collapse.
1
Trump uses a company that brings in workers with temporary visas. This company promises the workers that at the end of their work period, they will likely get a green card. Since as President, Trump can decide which companies or individuals are allocated green cards to bring in temporary workers, you can be sure the company he uses has as many temporary visas as it needs.
The Palm Beach Post has been watching Trump’s South Florida employee base for at least five years. They started this in response to Palm Beach County citizens complaining that there are never any jobs available at Mar-a-lago. The Post learned that Mar-a-lago hires mostly seasonal employees. Advertisements for employees are placed in the Post the minimum amount of days that the law requires, at the start of the season.
One very interesting question is: Mar-a-lago and other seasonal employees are now likely deported by ICE, which saves Trump the expense of deporting them himself. However, prior to Trump becoming President, what happened to all those temporary employees when they no longer had jobs at Mar-a-lago, and at Trump’s other properties that need seasonal workers, such as his Charlottesville vineyard? Is it likely Trump paid to send them home? Very doubtful. If so, is Trump himself responsible for increasing the number of illegal immigrants in the US?
1
I can not imagine why this lady gave this interview. She will now lose her job and vindictive Trump will be sure to deport her. The world knows he is two faced and is out only for himself and money, no one needed her to distroy her life to show us.
4
The Trump organization would have to withhold Social Security dues from this lady's pay and send it to the government. The Social Security people would have immediately discovered that her number was phony and would have taken some action. Did the Trump group even send in any Social Security dues for the lady? What happened there?
4
It appears that Social Security keeps what it gets even if both the name and the number don't match its records.
5
What extraordinary courage. Women are coming forward from all directions, be they white, brown or black, to tell their stories. Must be terrifying for the old males though.
9
I just want to remind people that not all immigrants are in the US as just employees - there are a good number of immigrants employing US citizens in various capacities as well - the law is still broken - immigration system currently does not take in to account any individuals contribution to the US - no matter how hard you work, or how much you pay in taxes, all that matters is where you were born when it comes to immigration line and that certainly needs to be fixed.
1
A mean-spirited article - what's the point of identifying these women, who may face serious repercussions? Of creating a threat for the rest of the staff of Trump's businesses? We know Trump is a hypocrite. We know he hires illegal workers. We know Mar al Lago doesn't even advertise locally as required by law, they have almost all imported workers on special visas - because presumably in Florida you can't find people to work as maids, cooks & cleaners. So he gives one a $100 tip - someone else he doesn't pay at all. None of Trump's supporters care a bit, they know all of that too, & they won't blame him. They're also happy to hire undocumented or foreign workers for their home care or home projects & for the same reasons as Trump does: they save a little money and maybe have the perception immigrants do a better job, or maybe they can't find anyone else. For the base, allegiance to Trump is about emotional connection, but about the realities of day to day life.
2
We live 9 miles from Trump's golf club in Bedminster. Our cleaning lady earns more than $20 an hour. Trump's cleaning staff are paid less than the market rate. Just saying.
14
eVerify should be mandatory throughout the country - with very high punitive fines for misuse or failure to comply. Simultaneously, we should put more money towards personnel and support to process immigration applications and asylum claims, reducing the backlog. A two-pronged approach like that would, I think be vastly more helpful in the long run than a ridiculously expensive wall that could easily be flown over or otherwise circumvented.
5
I can’t shake the feeling that the NY Times has gone too far on this one. Even the president’s closest supporters agree that he can be obnoxious and overbearing. Most everyone else agrees that his language against immigrants is unconscionable. However, this article does nothing but literally rifle through his dirty laundry. Is this news? Can we all just agree to set up some boundaries? I also have the uncomfortable feeling that the Times is taking advantage of these women, especially the woman from Guatemala whose immigration status is in question. Her story may be flash-in-pan media fodder today, but after this article is forgotten in the next news cycle, she still has a life which she is at risk of losing. She has the right to come to the NY Times with her story, but don’t the editors have a duty to print responsibly?
14
This would make a terrific 24/7 news feature on Fox except for one little glaring fact.
7
Now multiply this story by all the other people who are not legal citizens that Donald Trump has used and abused.
Trump and Stephen Miller are probably imploding over breakfast together, trying to figure how they’ll tell lies about Ms, Morales and others, making it into some kind of laughable fantasy story for all his supporters to believe.
This is the Donald Trump version of “The Help” - 2018 style. Making this woman iron his shorts and sheets is nauseating, but the bigger picture of abuse and lies cannot be ignored.
Let us hope Ms. Morales finds safety, because we believe Donald Trump can be ruthless. And face it, he does have power.
6
I hope this woman has been advised to quit now and write a book before Trump makes her sign a non disclosure agreement prior to firing her before Christmas!
2
I read the whole article and my thoughts ranged from feeling as though she seems ungrateful to " come on lady, you'd gotten what u were seeking". I mean she came from Guatemala for better job and life right? Something she achieved regardless what paperwork she needed to fake (part of me didn't fault her for this-- I understand you do what you have to do, especially if your a Mom and your childrens safety ultimately rides on it. ) She was able to hold her job for years! Again this was her goal right? Seems like Trump was very decent to his workers. Makes me wonder what she hopes to gain by throwing her job away. Kind of makes her look bad, especially the fact that she has been here so many yrs and has not made a point to become fluent in English.
This is off topic but how come no one is asking questions about the Aid money that has been given to these 3 countries ( Guatemala,ElSalvador & Honduras) which I believe is in the millions for the entire last decade. Where is there accountability? Had those funds been spent correctly perhaps there wouldn't be migrants fleeing in the thousands.
6
You've all read or seen "Fight Club," right?
Trump and his pals, who probably haven't, have eaten some interesting things.
Meanwhile, the new Marriott union agreement includes job five years of job security for deported workers.
1
Consider me unsurprised. I am not the only person who understood quite quickly when I arrived in the US (legally) that the day-to-day economy of this country runs on the backs of undocumented workers. Without them, who would look after your children, clean your home, do your lawn maintenance and gardening, fix your roof, build your new home, pick up your trash, pick your fruits and vegetables (and keep them affordable), cook your fast foods (ditto), serve your favourite tacos.......Imagine if you all had to pay proper wages and benefits for all those services? Assuming you could find documented workers to do them. The hypocrisy of it all was blatant even before this current President. For those who say "don’t blame Trump", I say this. He is a symptom of the problem, the extrusion that arose because of the underlying conditions of greed and hypocrisy. That’s how he got in. Now that extrusion has become a malignancy of its own. And of course a disease can’t cure itself. I worry about what will happen to the women who came forward for this article.
4
Why is it that employers who are found to hire workers who are here illegally - who often know of it at some level -and even facilitate it, as in this case...aren't roundly punished (fined, jailed, something) ?
So many are black and white on the issue...that people like Ms. Morales broke the law, no matter what reason or how much of a contribution they've made, and they should be punished/deported. Well, the employers broke the law too, but it seems there is no deterrent or consequences for them....just the loss of cheap, malleable labor. Lose one, they just go back and hire another.
Some common sense reform is long past due....like since 2006
4
Congratulations to Ms. Morales for reclaiming the voice her employer has tried to steal from her. The intentional dehumanization of people practiced by the president is a recognized tool for state control over the individual. The history of freedom from autocracy, totalitarianism, and terror is written in courageous acts such as the one she has taken.
4
No one is surprised at Trump's lies and utter hypocrisy, and everyone knows that Republican race-baiting and immigrant scape-goating are dog-whistles for the aggrieved people who vote Republican. It's easier to hate undocumented immigrants than create an actual American immigration policy. These women, who've done thankless tasks for twenty years, are very brave. As our population ages in particular, we continue to need people who can clean and maintain properties, home health care aides, day care workers, food service workers, drivers, and farm workers. Machines are not going to do all this work, and they're not going to do it as cheaply. Central and South Americans, in particular, our neighbors, should be able to apply for work visas from their countries that will enable them to go back and forth legally, and enable them continue to help build the economy and improve the security of the United States and their home countries. Thank you, immigrants!
2
I hope our Whistleblower Law will protect these two women, but I doubt it. At the very least, Trump will have them fired. At worst, they’ll be deported.
I fear they have been badly used: first by the Trump organization, and secondly by the reporters, who used their names and made them vulnerable to retaliation. Did they understand the risks they were taking when they agreed to tell their stories? I certainly hope the New York Times will keep a close watch on their situation and follow up on this story.
While this article further exposes the hypocrisy so rampant in the way Trump insists we pay attention not to what he does, but what he says, it does do at a tremendous cost to these workers.
2
So, no problem that they falsified identity documents and social security numbers? They should go to jail and be deported, even though one now has legal status, which was likely obtained fraudulently. The hiring manager should go to jail.
I have no problem with a worker visa program where we know who is in the country. But I will not accept falsifying documents. If that were me, I would go to jail. I will also not accept this form of slavery from Americans. That seems to be our dirty secret in the land of the free and brave, that we still want our slaves. Just wrong.
4
@Alex Slavery? Ms. Morales is earning more than minimum wage. What slavery? This is about the costs of doing business AND the need to make a profit against the very tight economic pressures in modern society. Most Americans, nay, most people are unwilling to take on these types of jobs because they are physically demanding and socially demeaning. Until we address the stigma of what are necessary but tedious jobs, we will, as we have for over two hundred years in this country (and many thousands in others), have only two choices: hire anyone who will do the job, enslave them, or pay up.
Slavery because she can't fight back without getting deported. That makes her compliant. She is an economic slave.
Before reading this article, I was already aware that our immigration system is broken and that millions of undocumented people live here because our political system cannot generate a method for tracking people who enter the country either legally or illegally.
The problem is not new. Neither is the hypocrisy of both sides. This never-gets-old story fails to communicate how corrosive to democracy it is when all political parties have so much to gain by prolonging an ethical and legal nightmare.
2
@Jean, no, there are many of us liberals who work to help African Americans and White American people who live in poverty. There are many of us fighting for justice for them. Where do you get the idea that we don't?
And, respectfully may I ask, what are you doing to help people living in poverty in the US? And why do you believe that those of us who work to help immigrants don't also work to help American born poor people? They, and we, are all in this together, in my opinion. It's up to all of us to help each other no matter where we are from. A starving child is a starving child no matter which race, creed or color. Why wouldn't we want to help all of them, no matter where they are from?
9
Now he is violation of Labor Law. With the many Laws this individual has already violated you think the government would do something.. Gives everyone the signal that they can violate the law and get away with it..
7
Just like the people who never use their turn signals when changing lanes on the highway. They are entitled!
2
I applaud these women for coming forward, but shudder to think what will happen to them as punishment for speaking up.
Anyone who thinks that illegal immigration is clear-cut is naïve. Illegal immigrants form the backbone of the service industry in the US and while I support punishment for employers who hire them, without illegal immigrants the economy would suffer. We have to find a better way to deal with this that is both humane and rational.
481
@drh How is it rational to state how essential their role is to the function of the service industry and simultaneously want to punish their employers???
6
@drh
Although they are guilty of entering the country illegally, document fraud and fraudulently posing as U.S. citizens to gain employment, it's unlikely they will be punished. The charges will be dropped if they agree to leave the country voluntarily.
The service industry was unionized in many parts of the nation. That's why employers turned to undocumented workers. It gave them an edge over rivals who hired Americans workers.
10
@drh
I wouldn't give him too much credit. trump does only that which needs doing to insure that his every whim is catered to; whether its violating his US Constitutional duties and our federal laws, or using cheap labor to pick up his dirty socks.
19
So they have no security clearance, and they are in the same building with the President? Well, they work cheap anyway.
10
What brave women to step forward like this knowing the consequences they will face.
I wish our members of Congress could show just 1/100th as much courage.
I wish the US would do something to welcome people such as these hard working women. Do it legally but EXPEDITIOUSLY rather than place so many impasses and hardships in their way.
8
I am not clear on the point of the article. I don't see how Trump is supposed to know if people falsified documents, despite Ms Morales's perceptions to the contrary. At the same time, the worker(s) who are still not legal residents now likely will have no chance to ever become legal residents.
It's just makes it more obvious that we need reform around immigration.
5
Why, he is the owner of his organization and is supposed to have people that check these things. There are #'s to call to see if someone is eligible to work( e-verify). Trump makes a habit of skirting the law.
I don't know what surprises me more, that Trump hires undocumented workers or that one of them announces in The New York Times that, not only is she undocumented, but she is exploring a lawsuit against him for workplace abuse and discrimination. The image of the man defying the tank in Tiananmen Square comes to mind. This is not going to end well for her.
8
Comments are interesting: Yes, we are all indirectly 'guilty' if we eat food, patronize many different types of businesses and, sometimes, call for a ride. We consider ourselves polite and compassionate when we interact with people who's presence is 'outside the law', and don't want to think about what each potentially perilous day means to them.
We subscribe to a system that is so complex, we can relate to immigration status as someone else's problem to fix or to exacerbate, to examine and to enforce rules. Mr. Trump, though, cut it both ways during his candidacy and after his election to garner attention. He knows what makes him feel good at that moment in time. Like the rest, he looks the other way until forced to look directly: But unlike many, he is willing to question the value of entire classes of humanity in order to get and to maintain status.
2
Person 1 is exempt from the laws that govern average citizens. That must be God’s will or s/he would not have granted him victory in the electoral college. The notion that Person 1 breaks laws or lies is certainly not new news. Harping on number 1’s behavior is just an uncomfortable reminder that God works in strange ways and that we get what a sizable minority of us vote for.
Victorina will almost certainly gain nothing personally from sharing her experience, and I admire that she spoke out to tell those of us - who will never know what it's like - about those American contractions, in which many (including those in power) condemn and shame the very same people they depend on and value on a personal level.
4
People on the East Coast, in New York and New England anyway, seem to prefer foreign born "servants." Have you ever met someone in New England who said they hired a nanny from Mississippi or South Dakota? No they want someone who will teach their children to be "bilingual." People seem to be embarrassed that American citizens whose families have been citizens for a few generations are willing to work as servants. Maybe they are uncomfortable with the idea of servants at all and like to think that it is a temporary condition for immigrants but don't accept the idea that there are Americans who are willing and need to work as servants.
9
If Ms. Morales presented a social security number that was not valid, what did the Trump Organization do with the the withheld taxes, FICA, etc.? How did they remit that to the US Treasury? If not, did they pocket it?
Regardless, Mr. Morales will never get the benefits of social security. Sounds like in her case, the United States is getting a benefit if taxes were paid and she never gets to claim benefits.
If Trump and his supporters believe free markets work, then why won’t he and other hotels pay higher wage rates to attact Americans? Could it be that Americans are unwilling to clean his boxers for such low wages?
28
I am the last person to in any way defend our narcissistic, sociopath president but if an employer sends money to the IRS from withholding taxes of a fake social security number the IRS keeps the money. There is no obligation on the employer to verify the number. Many years ago, when Reagan was president, I had an employee that had been working for me for many years who one day brought in a form he had received under the amnesty program that showed every FICA, Soc Security, FUTA tax we had withheld under what turned out to be a fake number and showed how it was being applied to his new, valid number.
2
@Ben The SS money stays in the SS fund and is never claimed. The employee pays taxes based on the income reported on the W-2. So these freeloaders actually do pay their taxes, as well as cleaning our bathrooms. Of course the US treasury gets a benefit, as well as all the employers who get reliable hard-working employees who don't quit after a month to go back to playing video games and smoking weed. Where have you been living?
For those here who blame the employees only, like marriage and the tango -- it takes TWO.
20
Many who post here should consider and try to understand why so many working poor are supporting Donald Trump. It is because he does not ignore the working class, who are poor, such as African Americans and Whites. He does not either place immigrants at the forefront, at the expense of the working poor African Americans and the poor Whites. This is what the liberals do. And let us not forget, 30 percent of all Latinos voted for Trump. Who could they be? Maybe they are the exact 30 percent who do not ask for and receive public benefits.
The fact is that Democrats and activists who are constantly on the news, do not ever fight for the injustices that occur among the poor African Americans and poor Whites who work for very low pay themselves. (African Americans only receive Activist support if someone is injured or killed). Otherwise, their plights are mainly ignored.
But an overwhelming amount of attention is consistently placed on immigrants, even though many African Americans and Whites live in much more dire circumstances themselves, than many immigrants. Thousand of Americans are today homeless. But no one cares about them. Only immigrants are worthy of any concern.
9
Have you even read the article or do you have reading comprehension issue? Because the conman in the article has employed illegal immigrants at the expense of Americans. How is that taking care of the American poor? He regularly brings h2B foreign workers to work in his hotels. Aren’t there any Americans who would do the job?
And what exactly has the conman done to the American poor? All he has done is give tax cuts to the rich and corporations while taking healthcare away and making it difficult to get healthcare. Where are the manufacturing jobs? Now the agriculture is suffering due to tariffs and economy is slowing down due to the same.
2
@Jean - You've got to be kidding me. Trump is hiring undocumented immigrants instead of U.S. citizens, his products are made overseas in sweatshops.
He's got people like Ben Carson sticking it to the poor who are in need of housing.
Wake up and pay attention.
2
@Jean
Jean, your comment is just a bunch of ad hominem attacks and lies.
How dare you claim that Dems and "activists" "do not ever fight for the injustices that occur among the poor African Americans and poor Whites."
Which party has fought for higher minimum wages? The Dems!
Which party has fought for universal healthcare? The Dems!
Which party has fought for higher funding for education? The Dems!
Which party has fought for affirmative action? The Dems!
Which party has fought to keep public assistance programs? The Dems!
Which party has fought to change unfair sentencing laws? The Dems!
Which party has fought to protect voting rights? The Dems!
And about your comment that Trump "does not ignore the working class, who are poor, such as African Americans and Whites": Do you know anything about Trump before he started running for the presidency? He has a history of not only "ignoring" African Americans; in fact, he has a history of discriminating against them. (Evidence: discrimination lawsuits; his comments about the Central Park Five; etc.)
So, if you're going write a comment, at least base it on facts rather than just empty lies. Oh wait, I forgot that Trumpistas believe in "alterenative facts."
2
So does she want a medal for committing multiple felonies, including using forged federal documents, fraud, impersonating another one or more individuals, procuring forged documents, conspiracy to defraud the United States?
We get it that she worked hard.
But everything else around associated with her employment was criminal.
She needs to be on the next bus out of the country.
16
Her employer needs to be jailed for turning a blind eye to her status. Of course the Trump Organization, and every company that hires illegal immigrants, know what they’re doing. Until they’re held accountable this won’t stop.
3
But her conman employer who employs illegal immigrants and brings H2B workers at the expense of Americans can go scot free. Why wasn’t the conman employer part off e-verify that he wants other employers to be part of? If there are no con men employers there won’t be any illegal immigrants. Period. Also the said conman brings wife’s family through the Blackfoot family chain migration and his wife has worked on tourist visa and also has over stayed her visa permits. What do you want to do with them ? Deport?
1
And who was it that arranged for these felonies to be committed? Her employer. Guess who?
1
"While they were often unclear on precise dates of when events occurred, they appeared to recollect key events and conversations with precision." --Tell me MORE pls! WHICH convos, with whom, etc.
2
From its beginnings, the United States exploited people. First, they spent 250 years, as Lincoln said, "wringing their bread from the sweat of another man's face". Now that the 13th and 14th amendments exist, they do what they can to continue the exploitation. If they can't enslave or exploit minorities, the US will do everything they can to deport them.
15
White America cannot feed itself without labor of darker people. When was the last time the bulk of the field labor required to make our food was white? Never. That has never been the case in US history. White people are dependent on other’s labor for their basic sustenance. That has always been the case in the Americas. Always.
This is every hotel. Moving on.
18
This is the norm, because after President Reagan granted amnesty to 3-4 million, and Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, it was so watered down, and the issues, both the needs of business to have millions of workers, and not punish them, and securing the border were insurmountable, so the law slowly, but surely, died a permanent death. In other words, it matters little about any laws about illegal immigration(the words still used in the federal laws), if you know businesses that use these workers, at least 50% or more of all workers today in the industries of agricultural, childcare, construction, hospitality, landscaping, meatpacking, roofing, etc. are here undocumented, many for decades, and there are way more millions than the numbers put out in the media. That is the facts. If you personally know people in businesses where hundreds of workers are employed, they tell you the truth, and they couldn't maintain their business, without all the workers. Congress, won't admit the whole truth, because both sides of the aisle don't want to, believe it or not, even most Republicans, as they know their constituents operate this way, because they need to, to stay in business.
10
@Ann/Seattle
I think you'll find that larger subsidies are to the 5 largest corporations that pay no taxes at all while the rest now pay only 21%. That should bother you as well.
13
Whenever there is a questionable economic situation, one has to ask, "who benefits"? I think it's pretty clear why little is done about illegal immigration; all the big hotel chains are lobbying Congress to do nothing. Again, think about who benefits from the status quo.
17
Ms Morales - Heartfelt thanks for your courage and integrity.
if only our president had the smallest fraction of your character.
56
@ Caroline
The content of this woman's character is sorely lacking. How many people have been harmed by her using their social security number and ID? What set of morals tells you that it is okay to steal from people and violate their laws? Then ask what makes this woman superior to the millions of people in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, or the refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey? Is it that she is more "white" and more likely Christian? If so that is racist.
Then ask why the people in Baltimore, Chicago and other high violent crime area do not get the same consideration by Liberals when it comes to protecting them and assisting them with relocation, food, shelter, and health care? These people cannot migrate to a place where they will have a better life.
This woman is entitled to nothing because US citizens are not entitled to a job, health care. She needs to be in prison for stealing IDs then deported. The employers need to be in prison too. Businesses with multiple convictions need to be put out of business.
3
If she has a degree from Harvard she can keep her job.
8
Or if she came in as a “model” from some place like Slovenia.
2
The true scandal is that the USA lack the moral and legal instruments to rid itself of an imposter and gangster like trump.
46
She couldn't get out the orange makeup ... just too much ..... I swear I would trade every one of these people, all 8 million, 10 million, for the same amount of Trump supporters and this admin in a heartbeat.
49
@Doctor Woo
Of the 8 people that have been confirmed using my social number to get jobs and credit in my name, all have supposedly had great morals and been valued members of their community. They have left me in debt for 18 years. I have spent tens of thousands on lawyers fighting their "high morals". The latest was this year when I had a warrant out for my arrest due to failure to pay child support for a child that I fathered. I am a older woman and unable to have a 5 year "biological" child let alone father one. That does not count the foreclosures on houses I did not buy, the people who try and file on my income taxes to steal my refund. This was a good year, only 6 people used my ID to get a job.
Trump supporters have never been found to be behind any of this. So I would rather keep the million Trump supporters who hate me because of the color of my skin than any of these so-called undocumented people with such high morals.
6
His orange "make-up" stained the collar of his white shirt, and he blames his launderers for failing to rectify the situation! Honestly! As someone who regularly disparages "people of color," shouldn't he be content to leave his naturally pallid hue as is? . . . Does he think that artificial orange is a more manly color?
Oh well. At least he tips his housecleaners well (although paying them $13 / hour isn't exactly generous).
23
I sure hope there’s a progressive sanctuary church nearby where these women live and a go fund me campaign ready to pay for their defense.
19
We all know what is happening in this country. Trump admits we need workers and that includes him as well. He just wants it done legally and that starts at the border. Is that so difficult to understand? Why is a story about some of his employees being illegal so newsworthy? The facts? We are rife with illegals simply because congress has been unwilling to stop it. The need for a wall was a large reason for Trump’s election so stop knocking Trump. At least he is trying to do something about it. What is the NYT doing about it? I believe we all know the answer and that answer clearly does not include following the law.
8
@Confused, It is newsworthy because he is breaking the law. Just like so many other American businessmen and American companies. They are all breaking the law when employing undocumented workers. It is the businessmen and ceo's that should be arrested, have all their assets seized and thrown in prison. Until you severely punish those people that hire the workers, then nothing will change. Trump is part of the problem and he blames the wrong people.
25
I have to admit I don't understand what you mean. Every administration tried to solve this very complex issue. in the best way possible. Trump is doing nothing except exploiting it for populism. easy.
but it will explode in his face.
1
@Confused
Nothing is done about illegal immigration because employers love the cheap labor they can exploit. Congress is listening to them.
4
What exactly does this story tell us other than this woman continues to be an illegal in our country.
Much negative and harsh has been said here about POTUS - employing illegals. Well, blame our Congress. They encourage this lawlessness by insisting on no enforcement of laws it passed.
Give POTUS credit that he had elevated this issue where it belongs - Congress and not via executive orders.
Heck, I remember when the 43rd was milking this immigration issue - without ever working with Congress - he even had illegals on stage at their convention.
Now, that's chutzpah - that even a New Yorker - would admit.
Finally, folks below always skewering our POTUS - listen to compliments these women shower on him.
Take those seriously - and not all fake stuff out there - that many take literally.
12
@Neil Thank you for our comment. Nobody took it seriously before Trump. And that is a sad part too.
4
Perhaps if businesses stopped hiring undocumented aliens they would stop coming. Don't you people ever think of that? Until there are no jobs for them these folks will keep coming, wall or no wall.
3
You know I was impressed by Trump who is known to stiff his contractors to be so free with hundred and fifty dollar bills to non English speaking employees and helping this woman with the part of the window she could not reach. Maybe he has such a need to be liked by anyone he does things like that. He has often promised big donations to charity and not delivered and can only be shamed to do so. And what happened to his salary he was going to donate each quarter? Something is odd about this handing out cash. Was it to keep the employees quiet? Bribing them to always say good things about him? Was he showing off? I have never heard of him tipping like that.
18
A question here: now that she does not speak English, how could she know what trump said and recall what the manager said to her?
14
A lot of people who are not fluent in a language are able to understand conversations. Probably too basic of a fact for a Trump supporter to comprehend.
@Steve
Do you really believe that people who do not respect the law, steal from people would not lie? Of course she understands and can speak English, She just won't admit it and won't speak it. She gets more sympathy that way.
1
A lot of people who speak primarily Spanish understand English much better than they can speak English.
Did the Times explain to these women whose photographs are now circulated throughout the internet, that they had more to fear than ICE? Are they and their attorney media savvy?
Were they fully aware that Trump's critics receive hate mail and death threats? Were they told how Ms. Blasey-Ford, who has the privileges of considerable status and rank in our society, has had to go underground because of her altruistic testimony before Congress? Or of the frightening legal quagmire Kathy Griffin faced following her publication of a photograph of a decapitated Trump? That two white women of means and connections, were throttled?
I assume that the realize that everyone involved in undocumented work at all Trump properties are now in danger of deportation and that the people who helped them are among them?
Perhaps they realized all of this, but I'd feel better, if the article had addressed this aspect of the story with responsibility.
I worry, that even if they bravely decided to risk their own status, under protection of a lawyer, if they knew what they were getting into. Did the Times let them know? Or are they being used by the Times, much as they are by the president?
25
These days there is only one presidential pardon I'd welcome -- that of Ms. Morales for working here "illegally" -- but perhaps we won't have to wait too long for a new more enlightened, less hypocritical person to assume the presidency.
7
So she breaks the law and comes here illegally, gets a job with fraudulent documents and repays the opportunity to work by suing but also applies for asylum. Appalling.
23
@M
I suppose you also think that prostitutes are bad women who should go to jail but that their clients are just regular guys who don’t need to be punished. Am I right?
At this point, the only thing about Cheeto that would surprise me is if he shot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and DIDN’T get away with it.
When will it end?
20
The employer is required to maintain an I-9 form which the employee has signed attesting that she is eligible to work in the US.
The Justice Department sued Arizona employers who declined to hire workers that E-Verify had indicated were not eligible for employment in error for racial profiling.
1
Oops - tRump might have to order new uniforms for his serfs. Note the Nike symbol on Ms. Morales' sleeve. Hmm...didn't Nike have a very successful ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick?
7
I hope Ms. Morales finds a ghostwriter or a movie producer willing to buy her stories and that she makes some money. I am sure she and her coworkers witnessed many interesting events.
9
Don't bite the hand that feeds you. I would be both too thankful and also scared for my life and too scared to tell this story.
3
@Nick I say BITE the hand that feeds you crumbs while insulting and humiliating you (read working without a right to social security, pension or health benefits). These immigrants are brave to expose Trump for the hypocrite he is. Remember how he disparaged China during the campaign only for us to find that the clothes he sells in his shops are manufactured there?
1
Workers such as these women use a well established system to work illegally in the United States. Many people profit from this system including Trump and his hotel system. It is not a simple case of people scurrying across our southern borders to work on their own. Each person entering illegally relies on trafficking, illegal documents, a well oiled support system and many, many people turning a blind eye. The money exchanged for their right to work illegally is big time money. Until the system is dismantled we will have illegal workers. Yes, Trump is at fault for allowing this practice at his hotel’s but thousands of companies in America are guilty as well.
16
These employees were not rapists or murderers and in fact were such good employees that the President tipped them well.
Immigrants would not come here if they could not gain employment. Employers of undocumented immigrants often look the other way. In this instance, the employer even helped the immigrant acquire new papers which came from some building other than a government office. In my state, the business community has opposed tougher penalties on employers who do not use the E-verify system to check for citizenship.
Neither U.S. citizens nor immigrants should be exploited in the workplace.
13
I think it is sad that the NY Times published this article. The purpose was to make a strong point about Trump's actions on immigration that some Americans disagree with. In doing so, Ms. Morales has been made a sacrificial lamb, even though she was apparently willing to risk being deported to get here message out. It appears that Trump showed acts of kindness toward this woman and did not mistreat her. Many of our citizens and politicians want an open door policy which will only further exacerbate illegal immigrants entering our country. Long before Trump became POTUS, Congress has failed to address the immigration situation, which has resulted in many like Ms. Morales entering the U.S. illegally and achieving gainful employment because employers looked the other way. Let's face it, there are not enough American citizens to fill the lower paying jobs that many legal or nonlegal immigrants will readily accept to live in the U. S. This in no way entitles anyone to take undue advantage of them. The failure of our government to take steps to prevent illegal immigration for decades is disgraceful.
8
@adamar1
Actually, there are enough American citizens to fill low paying jobs. Their either cannot afford to relocate or are openly discriminated against by employers who would rather hire foreigners. Local hotel managers cried and cried that Trump was hurting their ability to get foreign workers to staff their resorts. They said they could not open this year. At least 500 local people showed up ready to work for these resorts. The resorts stayed closed. My state has a work requirement for Medicaid, SNAP, and general assistance. These people were drug free and sober, they were also willing to work for less than the illegals were paid.
3
Trump, the compleat hypocrite.
15
All the nasty comments about an undocumented immigrant doing housework. Since it is for Don the Dishonest it receives a lot of attention.
But no one here questions why it seem so be so many of these immigrants a are doing such work. Where are all those complaining American workers that need work, are those immigrants taking their jobs? Seems odd that when I stay in a motel somewhere, at least half the staff seems to be immigrants, or recent immigrants that have got a green card, or even citizenship while doing those jobs. Oh pay better you say, but are you willing to pay $300 a night for a Motel6?, and more for a Comfort Inn?
Don the Dishonest has a long history of employing undocumented immigrants because he can stiff them and they are afraid to complain to the authorities, he is a racketeer, it is his mode of doing business and making deals, a swindler, a fraud, and has been allowed to get away with it.
A symptom of corruption.
27
also is a glaring problem for the US Secret Service. Obviously they aren't vetting people around the President. The Trump companies should be heavily fined for employing illegals since Trump made such a point of scapegoating illegals. they should also be banned from hiring Visa workers for an extended period. they have proven to not be following the law.
31
I have worked in housekeeping at 2 major hotel chains through college and some grad school. I am a US citizen who can dust, sweep, make beds. I never complained about my audience. In fact, I was happy to be part of someone "stay away from home" experience. I have only encountered kindness and gratitude from our guests. All was done while I am a Citizen of the United States. The ladies who submitted false papers should be deported. Their economic agenda should not be the problem of US Citizens. If you have that many guts to come her and cheat and deceive you should have enough stamina to stand up to purported abuses and lack of advancement in your home country. Yes, the United States does have dedicated and committed labor force to make it happened. No need for illegals to tell us what to do.
28
Grad school in what? Anti-immigration studies?
Typical misplaced anger.
Why are you blaming these individuals instead of those who knowingly hire them?
Why are those who knowingly hire them & who obviously let it happen like Trump not criminals?
It happens all the time - tons of wealthy people, GOPers, etc. hire illegal immigrants,
But they’re the victims, right? The poor rich folks duped by the cunning illegals.
Time to go back to school & get re-educated in critical thinking & reasoning.
22
@A she Well done... looks you've solved the challenges for people trying to pull themselves out of 3rd world poverty.
To @A she. I am so sorry that you have hardly received any reply at all. It is because most of the people responding here, are rich themselves and never consider the work of us, the working class who are from either the White or the African American race. We are not worthy of anyone's sympathies. It is a shame that the country has come to this, that they have forgotten its own working poor. If you read my comments, you will note that I have written about the plight of millions of unheard and forgotten, poor African Americans and Whites, that these rich elites, who comment here, do not care anything about. Unfortunately, they only care about immigrants.
Most elite whites will not either pay or even hire, a poor white person and pay them as well, as an immigrant, since they have no compassion for us.
8
It pains me to say it, but I almost feel for Trump on this one. We all know that he is a hypocrite, what else is new? I was anticipating another litany of Trump’s atrocious behavior, but these tales of his generosity are actually, um, nice. Trump and his base will no doubt use this to fuel their racism and anti- immigration stance - those Latina ingrates! And I can’t help but wonder how the other undocumented workers at Trump’s properties will fare now that they have been exposed and are the focus of attention. Beyond a potential self-serving lawsuit, what can these women hope to gain by coming forward?
16
One of these posts stated the most true words about Trump. “ Trump has no shame.” That is what separates Trump from normal humans. He has a contract with his wife, she can’t leave. He hires Whitaker to get info on FBI background checks done on incoming House Democrats so he can threaten them with the leaking of potential embarrassing items in their past to the press. Much like Linda sey Graham. A once anti Trump guy became his biggest cheerleader after a few videos were shown to him. That is Trumps secret weapon, he can shame others to impose his will, but he can not be shamed. Fake News.
7
@Joe Smith
“A once anti Trump guy became his biggest cheerleader after a few videos were shown to him.”
No...really? Pray tell!
Please post links to this bit of juicy gossip! I’m just dying to know what Lindsay Graham’s secret kink is. As a Southern Baptist who’s never been married...well, it’s not too difficult to picture the possibilities.
2
Would not the Secret Service have checked out anyone who had any access at all to the President, including a housekeeper with access to his home, albeit a vacation one?
14
@Mrs. Cleaver The Secret Service has had a number of scandals in recent years that revealed a lack of professionalism on the part of several. But I can't imagine, having served President Obama, what an indignity it must be to have to protect the life of such a creature. Did any resign rather than have to serve him? The only job worth having would be protecting Barron. That's a kid who needs protection - from his own father - actually, from all of his relatives. I hope he receives it.
2
I wonder how teflon Don will deflect this story. I cannot believe so many people voted for him. It's comical that his shirts are stained with orange makeup.
21
@RJ Yea, the bit about the orange shirts is hilarious!
6
There are so many people in this country who work low paid jobs, such as the Whites and the African Americans. But they rarely get any mention in any of these news articles. Today, there are also thousands of college educated workers who work for just as low pay, as this lady. Yet, they rarely get any publicity. They have studied hard to better their lives, but never get any recognition. And there are never any liberal Activists, fighting on their behalf.
The are also currently, thousands of homeless foster youths, who are forced out onto the streets each year and become homeless (Approximately, 8000 foster youths become homeless, each year, in this country). But no liberal activist will fight on their behalf. They will only fight on the behalf of an immigrant. Activists do not care about the homeless foster youth. (Public housing should be provided to an immigrant, according to them, before it is provided to a homeless American youth, who has absolutely no family to turn to).
It's get tiring to always hear about the same category of people, the South American immigrant. There are many poor working Whites and poor working African Americans in this country. The truth is: after taxes have been paid by these low paid workers, their take-home pay is a lot lower, than many of these immigrant workers.
18
@Jean I think you have an excellent point Jean. American workers are not being recognized. Their race, origin should not matter. Yes, no liberal will fight for American worker. You nailed it. And I personally thank you for this!
12
@A she Bernie Sanders fights for the American worker. What have trump and his cronies done for them?
5
Jean
If this was even remotely true you would have a point. If you watch shows like Democracy Now, admittedly more radical than liberal, all the things you talk about are addressed continuously. More likely than not people you disdain will be working actively to address the injustices you are talking about here. While I would bet you only talk about them as pretext to attack undocumented immigrants and those struggling with them for dignity and justice. My strong guess is that you do next to nothing to fight to alleviate the suffering of the people you claim to care about. Because if you did you would see the majority of the people standing with you would be the very people you are slandering here.
1
What strikes me most is how in treating immigrants like dirt, Trump lost the respect of a woman who had the perspective to know whether he was a good person.
I think both Ms Morales, Mr Trump, and frankly America too would be better off -happier- if Trump had never run for President.
10
Don’t blame the illegal immigrants, blame the employers. And who are these employers, mostly republican hypocrites.
50
This revelation resulting from solid journalism should surprise no one. Trump has always lived in a two tier world. One law for the Emperor and a different more demanding law for the subjects. The liar in chief easily morphs into the hypocrite in chief. Donald Trump at his worst.
23
“There are many people without papers.”
“We are tired of the abuse, the insults, the way he talks about us when he knows that we are here helping him make money.”
“We sweat it out to attend to his every need and have to put up with his humiliation.”
So, why are NO criminal laws directed at employers?
"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) preempts any state or local law from imposing civil or criminal sanctions... Citation: 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/state-e-verify-action.aspx
It took almost 7 years, but the figurative day has arrived.
"Donald Trump can be buried anywhere," said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the governor (Chris Christie), "so I guess we should be honored that he’s considering New Jersey."
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/donald_trump_death_burial.html
2
What a big phony. It is remarkable that Trump's base still cannot see him for what he is.
Trump and his people knew they were employing undocumented workers. Those workers were a vital part of his operation.
Yet Trump tells racist lies about them, enacts inhumane anti-immigrant policies, and blames them for all of the problems of his white supporters.
These immigrants have crime and employment rates that put citizens to shame. They pay more in taxes than they will ever get back in programs or payments.
My goodness. They keep his lousy club in business. Millions of our tax dollars go to that club each and every time he visits it.
25
Wait. What? Trump has golf trophies?
15
like the Time magazine covers, he bought them
17
Ms Morales said that she was shy of 5 feet tall and could not reach top of the windows she was cleaning. she said President Trump came up, took the rag and reached high for her. Then he ask her where she was from. She replied Guatamala. Then he said Guatamala people were hard workers. Now at the end of this article she said. " He knows we don't speak english" She is wondering why he did not know they did not have papers. Now President Trump has said several times he does not speak spanish. SO who is lying here?
7
Very simplistic analysis. Nobody is necessary lying.
Of course they understand basic English. Gotta be able to understand “the master.”
The ability to comprehend typically is far easier than the ability to produce speech in a secondary language. That’s a complete no brained for anyone thats ever learned a foreign language.
Of course they can speak rudimentary English.
There is a massive difference, however, between “rudimentary English” & being able to speak in a more advanced manner. Again, most people that have learned a foreign language should be able to relate to that.
Anyone interacting with these individuals should quickly realize the fact that they “don’t speak English.”
9
The fact that there are people who we need to explain this to exemplifies the ignorance of the Trump base. Feigned or real, wrapped in a simplistic and disgusting arrogance masked as populism.
1
What ingrates! The president told her she was doing a good job, that Guatemalans were hard working people, gave them good tips for doing their job even though they were getting paid the same amount a legal person would be paid and this is how they thank him?? I say deport them if they haven’t been deported yet!
9
I do agree. The word “ingrate” does apply ... to you. What an insensitive, vulgar comment about a person. Some people do need deporting, but you’ve left the human race. Perhaps you’ll get back your conscience but doubt remains.
13
The white house declined to comment. Well that's the only sentence that I need to read.
8
I remember another time when someone told the truth about a Republican president in the New York Times. It was when Joe Wilson outed one of the systematic lies the Bush Administration had been telling the American people in the lead up to the Iraq War. Cheney's response to this, was to out Joe Wilson's wife - a middle east deep-cover CIA agent who's field of expertise was, ironically, weapons of mass destruction.
So, a Republican Administration is caught red handed lying about WMD's and a nuclear weapons program that never existed in their efforts to foster fear and whip up a war of choice, and being caught, their response was to jeopardize our national security for the purposes of political payback.
Dick Cheney should have gone to jail for treason for doing that. A crime which used to be punishable by death. Instead, the bottom feeder walked out of it.
I wonder what the current Republican Liar in Chief will do in response to this latest exposure of the truth? The truth of their lies?
Land of the Free. Free to be constantly lied to. Free to be used. Free to be abused by a system designed exclusively for the benefit of 1% of the population. Free to go to jail for someone else's crimes. Free to be denigrated for personal political gain. Free to fight wars of convenience for the benefit of half a dozen private companies.
Home of the Brave. Brave enough to get deferments for bone spurs because your daddy's rich. Brave enough to talk tough when you are a coward to the bone.
25
This surely comes as no surprise to anyone. We all know that our leader is an arrogant, greedy hypocrite and a pathological liar. Hence, he will deny all knowledge of having "illegal immigrants" on any of his companies' payrolls.
He may try to have the women deported. He may fire the supervisors he pays to overlook and cover-up his hiring practices. Maybe he’ll ask one of his authoritarian cronies to put a "hit" on the journalist who wrote this story or the women who are "ratting" him out or the previously noted supervisors. Besides being feculent, our corrupt leader is coated with silicone and full of hot-air. His base will ignore his actions—even though they know what he's doing, his legion of lawyers will cover for him—even though they're on-to him, and he’ll continue doing whatever he wants to do . . . which seems to be destroying our nation and planet as rapidly as he can—even though he's not any more immortal than the rest of us and will suffer the effects eventually.
I'm just sick of him.
16
Large Hotel chains as well as golf corses and many other service related businesses contract with labor services. A flat rate is paid to provide labor. The lowest bid wins. Guess what? The illegals get paid much less than the legals, and the bid is won. Duh?
3
Trump has his boxers ironed? That's flat weird.
11
Dishonest Donald is at it again, complaining publicly about a problem, while privately contributing to the cause of the problem. Why do people still trust this liar?
12
The new Cosa Nostra party formerly known as the Republican Party has learned to cheat very well from their mentor Vladimir Trump.
11
I'm a little disturbed to realize that I now know what kind of underwear Trump wears.
12
ICE is not coming to Trump properties, nor to the Nunez farms, nor to any other politically or financially protected employer. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23471864/devin-nunes-family-farm-iowa-california/
16
Very brave women to expose the reality of working for hypocrites. These women speak for millions. Mr. Trump is the King of Hypocrites.
Having worked in the service industry catering to extremely wealthy individuals over a period of many years, I can say without hesitation that Ms. Morales story rings clear as a bell.
As long as the employer asks for some documentation and the employee provides some documentation then why bother to look AT the documentation. Because it behooves everyone not to .
I laughed at the stubborn orange dye in shirt story. What's up with these rich people and their secret dye jobs . I've seen the stains first hand many a time. One woman insisted on dying her limbs a ghastly 'San Tropez' orange bronze that stained all the white towels and bathrobes and sheets and anything white she came in contact with. Then she would complain that all her things were constantly being laundered. Then the older man who secretly dyed his hair fake orange a la Trump, and drips of dye would be on the marble vanity and the bathrobe and on the white wool carpet, not to mention shirt collars. The black dye , the blond rinse all make a mess ! And look fake and terrible !
But that same person swiping his finger across the picture frame. D. Trump. Connoisseur of dust. Here's a tip. Now get out of my country. But do my laundry on your way out.
14
I am of Hispanic origin, now a naturalized American citizen, so don’t call me racist or whatever for my comment.
But, Ms Morales has been in the country for at least ten years, and she said at the end “we don’t speak English.”
It would seem to me that, at the same time that she got the forged documents originally, she would be trying her utmost to speak English.
And, like her, there are thousands...
16
@violetsmart,
The article said she had a 2nd grade education, meaning she isn't even educated to her native language.
4
@violetsmartif she speaks english or she does not she is still a human being
7
What???
Unfortunately, a discussion of immigration & Trump seems to drop the collective IQ multiple points AND/OR the Trump Trolls come out en masse to try to confuse the less informed & educated amongst us.
Why would Ms. Morales try to speak English at all when obtaining forged documents? Let alone her “best” English.
She & others buy fake documents from FORGERS.
They’re not stupid. They don’t show up at US Embassies, Customs, Social Security, etc. and use their very best English try to convince US bureaucrats that they’re genuine US Citizens that just need copies of their misplaced paperwork so they can get jobs.
They go to forgers, who obviously know she & others like her are seeking counterfeit documents because they’re illegal immigrants that don’t have & aren’t eligible for valid papers.
That’s why they’re going to forgers for fake papers in the first place!!
There’s no mystery. There’s no secret game of trying/needing to convince the forgers that one is a genuine American citizen & native/fluent English speaker.
Whey you both know you’re engaged in illegal activity, there’s no need to pretend.
Who told you otherwise?
2
The confusion, that President Trump says or thinks illegal immigrants are criminals, is the lie this paper just loves to repeat.
Some are criminals, and that is just the simple the truth. Considering the human trafficking, the drugs being brought here, and the instances of rape during the crossing, we can all just now say it's a simple and obvious truth. The lie, though, has been repeated so often that this illegal immigrant, one who falsified her papers, who has worked for a man who sometimes hands her $100 dollar tips, now turns on him with this lie and accuses him of humiliating her. She is lucky to have worked for Mr. Trump. And she is hideously ungrateful.
7
You got me Len. I’m in tears over my mistaken views of President Trump.
3
This is what an unprincipled president looks like, he doesn't care about undocumented immigrants and really never has, he cares that he can stir the pot and divide the nation by bringing the subject up in the most inflammatory way possible:
11
There is no way the Trump organization can track legal documents that were forged or misrepresented by anyone. Also, President Trump has never called ALL immigrants legal or illegal animals or violent criminals. He is obviously referring to the actual criminals who are in many cases beyond violent. Anyone who believes anything different is some kind of weird, creepy, and very mislead Pollyanna. Life is real folks. Many people are violent criminals. Immigrants legal or illegal are no different than anybody else. Sometimes, bad people do bad things. That is just a fact of life.
3
Profile in Courage. Victorina Morales stood up where many citizens chose to shut up and go along
16
Wow - Trump gave her a $50 tip. What noblesse oblige! That would be like me tipping my Starbucks barista a nickel. She deserves a lot more for having to clean his toilet and his underwear.
The main takeaway from this article is that Trump is a blatant hypocrite in every action, every attitude.
And, this, classic tRump: "That same year, she said, Mr. Trump had an outburst over some orange stains on the collar of his white golf shirt, which Ms. Diaz described as stubborn remnants of his makeup, which she had difficulty remove."
10
Can we please no longer have Trump as our president.
21
Would be interesting to find out who Trump is going to blame now. Oh wait, of course the democrats. They should have stopped her coming to US illegally. If they had stopped her he would never have a chance to hire her
5
I'm dumb-struck by a paragraph in this article "....made available...Taxpayer ID, a nine-digit number issued by the IRS to foreigners to enable them to file taxes without being permanent residents of the U.S....."
Have Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, John Thune and Mitch McConnell been lying to us all these years about immigrants not paying any taxes? Whoda thunkit?
Would those be the very taxes that the Republican Congress reduced to 21% from 35% on corporations? Nah, never happened.
16
@RYR.G
Awhile back, Congress got fed up with families who relied on welfare generation after generation instead of working to support themselves. It limited the amount of years a family could be on welfare, and it allowed low wage earners to apply for subsidies from the IRS. The subsidies are euphemistically called “credits” even though an applicant does not have to earn enough to pay income taxes and have the credits subtracted from them.
One such subsidy is the Earned Income Tax Credit. Those who pay payroll taxes can apply for the EITC and receive cash from the IRS. Congress has turned the IRS into a kind of welfare agency. The law says the IRS is not supposed to pay the EITC to the undocumented, but the IRS says it does not have the authority to determine who is undocumented.
Many undocumented have also applied for and received the Child Tax Credit. Back in 2010, the Inspector General for the Treasury Department learned the IRS had paid $4.2 billion dollars to the undocumented in just one year under the Child Tax Credit. (See an Eyewitness New Team Investigation on youtube titled "Part one: 13 Investigates IRS tax loophole”.) Even though the Inspector General said these payments were helping to lure people to move here without permission, the IRS has continued to make them year after year.
We, taxpayers, are subsidizing the undocumenteds' wages.
3
You didn’t know many working illegals pay taxes?
Not to be mean, but it’s fairly common knowledge if one reads articles on the mainstream/left press about illegal immigration.
It’s one of the key arguments against the folks that just claim that illegals are horrible parasites.
Apparently they can pay taxes but then can’t later collect social security. So at least from that small part of the cost/benefit equation involving immigrants that pay taxes, its apparently a net positive for the US Treasury.
At last! The public suspected Trump wore makeup and the cleaning staff proved it. The question is, why does he pick orange foundation and not something that matches his skin tone? You'd think with models for a wife and daughter, they'd teach him a thing or two about makeup application.
12
The highest aim of an ethical life according to Schopenhauer is moral freedom. Ms Morales has clearly found that. Neither Mr Trump, nor his execrable supporters will ever come close.
11
Such a sad but all too familiar story. I can sympathize with those who are here illegally and work hard and earn a living of sorts. They try, after entering illegally, to not be a burden and they take on jobs many US citizens would not want due to low wages. That speaks well of their character. The people I have no sympathy for and do not care if they are caught and prosecuted are the enablers. Those who profit financially by shuttling illegals through the country, providing false or stolen identification, and those who knowingly hire the undocumented or fake documented men and women (and sometimes children) to save money and/or increase their bottom line.
This was a story that needed to be told. But it begs the question: Why was a Trump facility chosen? The plight of illegals is serious, but selecting a Trump property smacks of politics. And therein lies a bigger problem. Politicians and the media. I am not convinced that politicians and press care for the undocumented as much as they say as the do for the political division it creates. Politicians and press thrive on division, and controversy. And sometimes, the press chooses the wrong side.
Amnesty for a wall seems like a fair trade, yet one prominent California Senator has said no. Very emphatically! And now Ms. Morales may face deportation. No doubt Trump knew she was undocumented; possibly why many months ago he offered amnesty for a wall.
A follow up story with Ms. Morales would be nice.
4
It illustrates the hypocrisy of the President. I feel certain that is why a Trump property was chosen.
4
Smacks of politics?
DUH!
Trump, the nation’s most powerful & prominent adversary of illegal immigrants, had at least one working for him apparently until this story broke. Likely has had many more in his employ over the years.
I’d say that’s pretty relevant, though you can write it off as simply being anti-Trump “politics.” Many will, I’m sure.
BTW, Ms. Morales apparently contacted the press through her lawyer. The press allegedly didn’t hunt down illegal immigrants working for Trump for a story though I’m sure they’ve tried.
And why not?
Again, hypocrisy is still relevant even though the most “moral” of the majority seem to have embraced it in super spades.
The Secret Service and likely the FBI would know the status of employees working at places President Trump is known to spend time at.. I don't see how any of that can be missed, background checks are done on everyone..
2
Victorina Morales no doubt works every bit as hard as the average American -- or harder. But she's not in the 1%, whose wealth and power are way above average.
3
They enter the country illegally, they use counterfeit ids, they get a job. They are not victims! Why are they exposing themselves? They betrayed people who help them.
14
@WendelThey also betrayed the other undocumented employees working for Trump
2
I can't help but wonder if the reporters dug into the details of payroll taxes. Since there were those that knew that they were undocumented, it could be that Federal taxes and FICA were deducted from these employees paychecks, not paid to the federal government but instead pocketed by the Trump organization.
That would surely be against the law and certainly no claim of ignorance would be accepted.
14
Even if Ms. Morales thinks she understands the consequences of her revelation will likely be, I think she was used by the NY Times, as a mere pawn, and I find this reprehensible. I see no good or higher purpose that this piece serves, and fear it could well have a tragic outcome for Ms. Morales.
11
This article, in a heart wrenching way, puts a sympathetic face to the reality of the hospitality business; not only the Trump organization.
I say it again and again: We have an “illegal immigration” problem because our businesses particularly in farming and hospitality need these workers - not protected by the nation’s laws - to increase profits and fill positions.
How convenient to blame those, the so called “illegal immigrants”, although they are source of fat profits.
How disgusting are all those people that join the chorus on blaming people like Morales, be their name Trump or alteri.
Does anybody really believe that a mighty country like the US would not and is not able to protect the border? Of course we could if we wanted to. But we prefer to get our bed at “Westin” done for $8 an hour so we can lavish in our “Heavenly Bed”. We blame the goose (the illegal immigrants) that lay our golden eggs. Utterly disgusting.
18
Just when I think I could not be more disgusted with the current inhabitant of the White House, I read another story like this and once again, I am even more disgusted. And to make matters worse, his cheering, rage-filled supporters could care less for the wonderful people who work for such low wages just for a chance of the American dream. How I hope for something better for these hardworking people and for our country.
33
@SanPride Not sure $13 a hr is exactly low wage.. seems to be not to bad pay.
5
Try living on $13 a hour for a couple of months and then give your opinion.
4
Brave, wonderful and honorable disclosures by these women. They will no doubt lose their jobs and likely face deportation; however, they will leave with their dignity intact. Much more impressive human beings than the current president.
32
@Bob More to this story than meets the eye as the secret service would certainly know what sort of legal status employees have (and do background checks..) on places where he frequently visits.
I am puzzled as to why this woman would be willing to come forward unless she is offered some form of compensation for doing so since she'd be leaving a relatively decent paying job that many legal Americans would be willing to work for.. This story doesn't quite ad up.
8
@Roland Sorry Roland - but no. Many people who are citizens have applied for positions at Mara Lago, and have been turned away for people who will work for less SPECIFICALLY because they are NOT American citizens. residents of NYC know that this family has for decades used "illegals" to do jobs that would not be done in any other world, SPECIFICALLY because they can get away with paying them less, or stiffing them all together. I suggest you look at some of the outstanding 500+ law suits against the trump organization.
11
@Marcus Across the hospitality industry employment is in and around minimum wage which is offset by tips and overtime. Unless these people are working off the books (which is of course illegal..) there is a base starting wage.. and this lady would be making more than that at $13 a hour... which also suggests that there is room for wage increases over time.
I've yet to see any evidence that suggests that these businesses would not hire a American if that American is willing to work at those same rates of pay, and really for the work being done $13 a hr doesn't seem all that bad. Its 24k a year base with bonuses, overtime, and tips to increase their earnings. That's not a bad job! I also don't believe it has anything to do with paying less... but rather, their willing to put in longer hours and work harder. (..shrug)
Well, if Victoria Morales and Sandra Diaz are so unhappy with life in the US they can head up to Canada. On December 10-11 of this year Canada signs on the the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakesh, Morocco. President Trump had the fortitude to withdraw the US from the preliminary consultation phase. The Global Compact is the UN's new initiative for migration, seeing that so many of those who are migrating do not fit the criteria of refugee under the 1951 Convention and 1968 Protocol. They would be welcomed by the Canadian government and the UN representatives, no mind that they entered the US not as this article suggests, immigrants, but as illegal aliens. There is more to life for you than doing Trumps laundry!
7
LA based artist Ramiro Gomez, profiles in a 2016 Sunday NY Times Magazine, has been featuring the unseen labor of the workers who maintain the environments of the wealthy and powerful. This article highlights the importance and significance of his work in this difficult time, including a painting he made for T magazine in June of 2018, entitled “Turning the Tide, Inside Donald and Melania Trump’s $100 million dollar Apartment, which features a Latino housekeeper dumping a bottle of Tide detergent on the floor of Mr Trumps apartment.
6
Employing undocumented workers can be seen as an abuse of power, in that the employer has 'kompramat' over the worker but the opposite is not also true.
"An abuse of power is always obscene. There is something obscene, always, when someone with power bends a person with less power to their will. I hope we can maintain outrage."
- Ana Marie Cox
12
While I appreciate what this article is highlighting: that the Trump companies employ many undocumented workers (what a surprise!), the risk to Ms. Morales is extraordinarily high. I question the value of a piece that puts one known, relatively powerless person at such high risk of deportation, jail, and other types of retribution Trump and his cronies are known to wield. This is irresponsible journalism.
5
But she contacted the NYTimes. I suspect she was lured by her 15 minutes of fame. Seems like nothing but downsides to her.
3
Ms. Morales is the picture of bravery. She'd make a much better president then Trump, too.
8
I think the most shocking thing about this whole story is that trump actually tipped people. I wonder if they were real 50s and 100s?
4
Instead of driving around the suburbs looking for illegal aliens, ICE should be driving around and giving fines to anyone employing an undocumented worker. That's right, check on the guys fixing the roof, mowing the lawn, pushing the stroller, washing the dishes and painting ladies toenails. If the person doing any of these jobs doesn't have papers, give a hefty fine the person they are working for, if they do it again, throw them in jail. I lived in NJ and worked in a factory where the workers were bused in by a contractor and given false documents, the company was making a fortune and literally threw American worker's resumes in the trash, when they came in to apply for work, which was often. The republicans had the house and senate, if they had wanted to change the rules they could have, but they love the cheap labor. The democrats are coming and I hope they investigate every one of Trump's properties. He's wasted a whole lot of money going after the workers, when putting a few employers in jail and implementing e-verify would have solved the problem. Also, investigate the scoundrels who lay off workers and replace them with cheap H1-B workers and lock them all up. Yes, most of the people coming into the country illegally are economic migrants and they would stay home if they thought they couldn't get a job. And yes, there are Americans who will do most of these jobs if they get paid properly. Who do you think did them before?
11
@thewriterstuff,
If only democrats would legislate on your arguments; ain't gonna happen; both parties are hypocrites. Citizens are a lowly group with Citizens United and the unlawful use of low wage workers from anywhere but America.
1
Trump doesn't hate undocumented immigrants. Never has. He simply tells his supporters what they want to hear. And he hasn't the capacity to care about those he hurts. To him, the only thing that matters is "winning"
14
Republicans love low paid, no benefits immigrant labor:
They bash immigrants to win elections, but they sure don't mind hiring them.
Without immigrant labor in an urban area
goodluck finding a nurturing caregiver for an aging parent or child
goodluck finding reliable restaurant staff or skilled construction workers who work flexible hours
goodluck finding affordable produce
goodluck finding students who actually love being in school
38
@Charle who says these women did not get benefits? Their salary was the same as any hotel cleaner.
P.s. good luck is two words!
4
This revelation would sink a democratic candidate. That says more about how effective the republicans are compared to the dems.
7
An issue evident in this article is the widespread fraud that is the consequence of our disjointed immigration system. In order to work many migrants have to be dishonest about their circumstances. That dishonesty likely spills over into other areas such as in applications to social welfare programs. However, it is considered OK to lie to support one's family. It is OK to lie on one's taxes. It is OK to lie, period.
If we can legalize many of the undocumented maybe we can sort the truth from the lies. Or maybe the lies are ingrained in their culture, like the violence, and we are destined to deteriorate as a nation as a new code of ethics, a new culture, takes over.
5
Consider what we were promised on reform in 1986.
1
@caveman007 This comments is so full of innuendos that it is hard to know where to start to reply.
"That dishonesty likely spills over into other areas such as in applications to social welfare programs." People applying for social welfare programs lie on the applications? All people? Or just them?
"Or maybe the lies are ingrained in their culture, like the violence,..." I think "we" are pretty good at lies and (domestic) violence, the American citizens, shooting each other up like in no other developed country.
2
I attribute our deteriorating culture to the Liar-in-Chief, and not to desperate immigrants who lie to survive.
3
It makes me so sad to know that this woman and others employed by trump make only $13 per hr when the he is charging more than $100K to join his club. I know he is not the only one...for example the Walmart Folks, all billionaires, and Beezos . Honestly, How much money does a person really need. Sometimes I believe it must be all about ego to make the Forbes list et al....and who is the richest while their fellow human beings live in squalor and don't make a living wage...let alone a wage to make their lives better.
Meanwhile, I congratulate these 2 women who are brave enough to take on the trumps.
34
“We are tired of the abuse, the insults, the way he talks about us when he knows that we are here helping him make money,” she said. “We sweat it out to attend to his every need and have to put up with his humiliation.”
Sounds familiar. . . .
21
Well, here he is again, our lying, hypocritical "commander in chief". How absolutely amoral that trump can exploit people like Mrs.Morales in private and call them names in public. Mrs. Morales and fellow workers have so much more class and courage than their employer. I wish them well; they are more worthy of legal status and citizenship than the trumps ever will be.
26
The hypocrisy here isn't only the hiring of undocumented workers. To cover up their hiring practices, managers told undocumented workers they had to get new documents-- not legitimate papers, but new, better forgeries. They even told them how to go about finding a document forger. And then after the election, the same managers felt emboldened to insult their own workers about their immigration status. The golf club is a microcosm of all Trump's corrupt enterprises. And I fear it's also the model for what America is becoming.
18
Trump is appalling but Democrats remain the party of border dysfunction and the encouragement and enabling of illegal immigration.
And with every working illegal alien comes the use of a fraudulent Social Security number, along with downward pressure on wages.
7
Hypocrites. One now expects the President to stoop low, so no surprise. And Victorina? She expects warm and fuzzy sentiments from the citizens? I have none for both. She has bitten the hand that feeds. Perhaps the limelight offered to her at this moment, will lift her from the realms of an unknown to that of a rich woman. Yes, as long as illegal immigrants come in, they will find work and Americans will exploit them. And it will be mutually profitable to both. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, it is a dirty American truth. We as a nation exploit illegal immigrants. I challenge all the comment writers here to reveal the immigration status of their maids. The real issue is about changing the work visas for low wage workers, so they can come and go freely and enrich two nations and most importantly not live in fear.
3
The Trump organizations may be happy with fake papers when these hard-working people are healthy and capable, but I'd bet big money that if any of them becomes injured or incapacitated, they'll be deported. As for pensions …. ditto.
Use them up and throw them away.
14
We need a much stronger word than "hypocrisy."
9
Abusive behavior on Trump's side (so, what's new?) opens the door for an 'official' complaint from Ms Morales, an undocumented immigrant sick and tired of being mistreated. Trump's hypocrisy is validated again, as if we needed more proof.
11
Shouldn’t the employer of illegal immigrants be fined and jailed?
33
@David
An hour of internet research leads me to take a guess. I think there might currently be about 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. It’s estimated that 80% of them are gainfully employed.
Considering our history, our natiobelie
1
@Tom W
(I hit Submit by mistake)
Consider our history. Consider the stand our nation has taken on human rights. Together, we have embraced fairness doctrines that have changed the world.
Do any humane American ciitizens believe that mass deportations and bringing criminal charges against people who employ undocumented immigrants are a reasonable solution to this situation?
We are better than that.
The America I would live in is “A Shining City on a Hill, A Beacon of Freedom Shining Out to All the World.”
Spite and hatred and scapegoating are surely not the answer here.
Let us work together to resolve our immigration problems with grace and brotherhood.
All men and women stand side by side, as brothers and sisters, under American skies.
1
You missed the point. I’m happy for the immigrants to be hear. The great majority are honest, hard-working, tax-payers who want nothing more than a better life for themselves and their children.
The employers, on the other hand, are willfully taking advantage of their status to cheat them out of fair wages and benefits that they deserve. Especially since they do many of the jobs that we “citizens” consider to be beneath us.
LOCK HIM UP!
1
And the buck stops where?
8
@frank The buck goes in Trump's pocket.
4
This article seems to put these vulnerable women at high risk of serious consequences. What responsibility does the nytimes have to them? Why not protect their identity?
26
My thoughts exactly. i am worried about them. They may not fully understand the consequences of coming forward but them, they have a lawyer.
1
The ultimate present from Republicans to the decaying civilization in the shape of the foul mouth , arrogant and lying at least 10 times a day President !
12
In a stunning turn of events, it turns out this president might be a hypocrite!
I don’t mean to diminish the courage exhibited by these women, even if misguided; It’s important to call to task lies and bigotry of political leaders. That said, I’m not convinced anything matters. This will change the mind of exactly zero people in this country. Those who understand who this president is will be entirely unsurprised by this and are already filled with enough frustration and rage with this president’s disgusting behavior. Those delusional enough to view him as a great savior will probably never see this story and, if they happen to, will denounce it as “fake news” or consider it yet another hit job on their beloved vulgarian.
25
She committed fraud to obtain her job. She’s in the country illegally. Her employment should not only be terminated, she should be deported.
12
@Shenoa
And what should happen to her employer, who KNOWINGLY helped her get false documents so that she could keep her job? Doesn't the employer also share part of the blame for perpetuating an illegal system?
It's illegal to buy goods that you know were stolen from someone else; the same legal logic applies here, i.e. it is illegal for an employer to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Thus, an employer who knowingly accepts fake documents is also guilty.
Oh, wait; the employer who knowingly hired these people and knowingly helped them get new fake documents was Donald Trump (via his managers). I forgot that laws don't apply to him.
24
@Shenoa President Trump employs her.
Oh, but you are one of his supporters and so don't care.
4
@Paul-A
As if Trump had anything to do with hiring the housekeeping staff. I think not. His managers are responsible though....and should be penalized accordingly.
2
Brave woman. I wonder if Trump will deport her for speaking out?
5
@Cathy Donelson
Not for ‘speaking out.’
For entering the US illegally.
8
The hardworking Guatemalan domestic that washes the president's underwear and irons his shirts reacts.
Victorina Morales' feelings were offended... as are the feelings of all decent Americans. Trump's golf course supervisor verbally abuses Morales.
The president abuses her people.
The big tipper is outed yet again.
This White House is simply an embarrassment.
Senator Alan Simpson's comments were brilliant.
Trump's hatred is enclosed in a bucket of coldness.
18
Trump does not care about committing any crime or fraud as long as he can be provided some cover and maintain deniability.
I believe Trump is capable of murder if provided cover and 1/2 believable deniability.
He is man with zero ethics and a filthy soul.
24
“...He [Trump?] knows we don’t speak English,” Ms. Morales said.
“Ms. Morales and Ms. Diaz approached The New York Times through their New Jersey lawyer, Anibal Romero, who is representing them on immigration matters. Ms. Morales said that she understood she could be fired or deported as a result of coming forward, though she has applied for protection under the asylum laws. She is also exploring a lawsuit claiming workplace abuse and discrimination.”
The treatment of these women by the NYT and their immigration lawyer is disturbing on many levels. Ms. Morales stated at the end of the article that she doesn’t speak English yet her quoted words are perfectly spoken. The NYT needs to explain if these are her actual English spoken words or translations by a third party, how was that person vetted for accuracy, bias and conflict of interest.
Ms. Morales plans to take action on workplace conditions and treatment. Is she working with a labor lawyer or is her immigration lawyer representing her? This is crucial to her safety and success because New Jersey has a whistleblower law requiring employees to follow specific procedures.
I feel her interests were not protected by her attorney or the NYT. these revelations that could have easily been anonymously attributed. I cannot imagine that Ms. Morales really understood the risks of coming forward In my opinion the risks do not outweigh the value of the “news.” I wonder why her attorney al
17
@Agent 99 The article clearly states that the interview was conducted in Spanish. What more is the Times supposed to say about it than that?
Her quoted words are "perfectly spoken" because that's what translations are: representations in fluent English of what someone said fluently in their own first language.
You do realize that most of the direct quotes in any Times stories about events in countries like, say, Germany and France are also translations, even when the Times doesn't specifically indicate the (obvious) fact that the speaker wasn't speaking in English.
7
I wonder if Melania is E-Verified?
32
All together now: "It's OK, He's A Repubican".
13
@Richard Schumacher
All together now: ‘It’s OK. Democrats need the voters.’
7
Isn’t part of every day life in the United States of America? People attempting to make a decent living, and other people taking advantage of the situation? It seems that every single big shot politician in the USA had an undocumented immigrant working for them. Although, in this case the racist, white nationalist seating at the Oval Office has been attacking verbally, and instigating violence towards immigrants regardless of their legal status.
6
Why is anyone surprised? Hypocrisy is the lifeblood of the GOP. It’s after all the Christian Family Values Party whose leader is a thrice married serial philanderer.
17
That same year, she said, Mr. Trump had an outburst over some orange stains on the collar of his white golf shirt, which Ms. Diaz described as stubborn remnants of his makeup, which she had difficulty removing.
I too would be outraged!
6
@alexander michael Why? It was not her fault.
4
@LEE It was sarc I think. (I hope.)
2
So. Trump was a kind, generous, and diligent employer and manager who treated his employees well? He expected daily operational procedures to be finished and maintained correctly through "hands on" direction and actually checking the work for himself? Or was it that she lied and used fake documents to get work, she then benefited from whats seems to be a network of people within that area in obtaining even better forgeries and fake documents when her originals were called into question?
I'm not being bigoted, and I am not really trying to be sarcastic, but what did this person think was going to eventually happen? And why is Trump in anyway the bad guy in this story? His company got duped by a network of undocumented immigrants and the ability of them to get good fake documents? So he is the bad guy?
I understand the attack on irony.. "Haha the president is a hypocrite for hiring illegals".. But that is not what happened, and that is not what this article is trying to do. His company hired people whom were cleared to work here legally through green cards or other programs. Are you really grabbing that hard for the last bits of possible outrage? This is not even funny anymore. It is sad.
Your article seems to be losing its mind, or I am. Because I do not understand what you are trying to do here. Am I supposed to feel sad for Ms. Morales? Because I do. Am I supposed to be appalled at Trump for something else he is doing normally? Because I am not. There is no news here.
16
Ok, so you’re just fine with the so-called president of the United States being a total hypocrite on his foremost campaign issue with respect to immigration. Remember Nannygate when there was national Republican uproar over Bill Clinton’s nominee for attorney general? But now it’s just normal.
It’s appalling how low we have sunk.
3
@Kevin I see it as an observation. Objective piece of information.
@Kevin
"Your article seems to be losing its mind, or I am."
Sorry Keven, but you're losing your mind....
"His company hired people whom were cleared to work here legally through green cards or other programs."
Didn't you read (or understand) that when Trump's comapny hired them, they had FAKE documents, which a diligent employer could check if they cared to do so? And didn't you read how the supervisor helped her get a new FAKE card, so that she could keep her job?
You're "losing your mind" because Trump and the Republicans have been hypcrites about immigration issues, contradicting themselves all along. There has been BIPARTISAN support for legislation to fix the system; the Republicans refused to bring it to Pres Obama; and when it was brought to Trump, he wouldn't agree to it.
Trump and the Republicans all know of lots of workers in their companies just like these people. They scream that it's all the Dems' fault, when they themselves are guilty of perpetuating the system that they decry.
There IS news here, because it's clear evidence of how hypocritical Trump and his cronies are. And yes, you ARE supposed to "be appalled at Trump," because he's a lying hypocrite.
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He treated her kindly, she said. He occasionally dropped $50 or $100 tips on her. He kept her working, She said she wasn't sure if he knew she was an illegal (I'm sure he knew). He even helped her clean a window. So she sues him. I guess she really is joining in the American Dream, sue someone for your riches. Does she not recall what happened to a certain "Movie Star", very recently? $800,000 in lawyer fees? Because I'm pretty sure, that The Donald has a bigger lawyer than she does.
And The NYT jumps on the bandwagon, checks her pay stubs to verify and whatnot. Are you going to pay her lawyer
fees if the same thing happens to her?
Why not report the news instead of trying to make the news?
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@BorisRoberts
You're mixed up about who, what, and why she's suing for.
Her supervisor(s) and co-workers have been harassing her on the job. But the way that the laws are written, harassment is considered illegal because it creates what's known as an "abusive/hostile work environment." The OWNER of the company is the party who's ultimately liable and gets sued, because it's the owner's responsibility to make sure that their managers aren't allowing a hostile work envirobnment to exist.
So, there's no nefarious contradiction in the scenario, as you're droolingly suggesting.
And BTW: Nice RUSSIAN name, Boris.
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Expect ICE raids on Trump properties in the next 24-48 hours with hardworking immigrants caught in the net. If this was an attempt to shame Donald Trump, it will backfire. Trump has no shame. Expect Sara Sanders to present some sort of spin to cover up his hypocrisy.
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Everyone thinks they are entitled to asylum these days it seems.
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@Mons Yes, I can think of a prime candidate for asylum - if you know what I mean. Hint: DJT.
Trump may need higher walls around his country clubs.
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The pull of the US for "illegal immigrants" will continue until the employers of these people face criminal charges. Deporting the workers, while ignoring those who hire them, either knowingly or by failing to check available documents and resources, is a foolish half-solution. Every company, for every job hire should be required to check eVerify, and document and verify the validity of any documents presented. If the company fails to check, fails to use eVerify (or whatever similar systems exist or are created) and it is discovered, then the managers, the top executive leadership of the hiring company that employed these workers must face actual prison time. Only consequences for the employers, as well as the workers, will end this magnetic draw of people from outside to come here to work. Right now the workers bear all the burden of the punishment, while business owners and managers claim "I didn't know" and "They presented false papers" and get off free, to hire again and fail to notice (wink-wink) fake papers. Why? Because these desperate workers, eager to work, will take substandard wages, below standard working conditions, and management knows they must remain silent even in the face of poor treatment by the company. How can they complain to OSHA or the Labor Dept., when they know complaints might get them deported? Until there is criminal charges for the hiring company managers, we will continue fighting a losing battle with "illegal immigration".
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@Jim Brokaw
"Every company, for every job hire should be required to check eVerify, and document and verify the validity of any documents presented."
I agree, but that is not the law. When several municipalities in California attempted to make it the law, deep Blue California passed a law making it illegal for any state jurisdiction to require employers to use eVerify.
Just who is condoning, encouraging, employers to hire illegal workers? Just who is encouraging illegal workers to continue to use fake documents?
Here is the article.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/16/local/la-me-e-verify-20111017
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Where can I send this lady some money ?
How sad that our heroes have to appear among those people who are least able to bear this responsibility...and who then face a life- changing calamity being visited on them for their truest actions.
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