Illegal Immigrants Sue Wendy's

[NVMojo]

HOUSTON (AP) - A group of illegal immigrants who worked for Wendy's International Inc. is suing the restaurant chain because the company fired them after discovering it had missed a deadline for joining a federal program that would have helped them attain legal status.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in state district court in Houston, is a companion to a similar class-action suit filed last month in Dallas against Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's, its subsidiary Cafe Express and the Houston-based business law firm Boyar & Miller.

The immigrants, who worked for Cafe Express, are seeking unspecified damages.

Between the two lawsuits, 40 illegal immigrants say they were fired after the company recently found that Boyar & Miller, the law firm Wendy's had hired, never filed paperwork for a 2001 legalization program that allowed immigrants with employer sponsorship or an American spouse to apply for citizenship.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/invest-corp/2006/oct/06/100604235.html

[tritsofme]

1. Maybe I'm confused

But if these are admitted illegal immigrants, what are they doing in the courts instead of being deported?

[Igel]

2. I don't understand what they could want:

Their jobs back, when it's illegal to hire them?

Money as compensation for having been hired in the first place?

Breach of (verbal) contract, if the company said the illegal immigrants would have paperwork filed on their behalf, which the company's representative apparently failed to do?

On second thought:
"Attorneys for Olivares said the company deducted $25 from his weekly paycheck of $313.20 for 4 1/2 years to cover legal fees associated with the program. With the rest of his paycheck, Olivares said he helped support his sister, her two daughters and his ill mother in Mexico City."

So apparently they were told about it, and got their hopes up. The least they should get is the money deducted from their paychecks back.

[Buchananfan]

3. Did they have contracts? n/t

[GetTheRightVote]

4. This is a joke right ? They have got to be kidding, they're illegals.

They have broken laws being here and working without sponsership and must be deported now that they do know they do not have it. What next...

:kick:

[OllieLotte]

5. What a mess.

I'd say they should be able to sue Wendy's/Boyar & Miller and win, even if illegal. Wendy's was collecting money from them for an attorney, which was simply pocketing the money and not doing anything...ouch. They should be deported and their court winnings should leave with them. Seems like Wendy's was trying to play by the rules and just messed up when the law firm didn't do it's job. Just another reason we need to secure the borders.