This striking quote from an anonymous Manhattan restaurant owner illustrates the vulnerable position undocumented immigrants occupy in our labor market. The restaurateur admits to paying undocumented workers less than their due—though he insisted, of course, that this was at least minimum wage. But because these workers are easily threatened with deportation, they are demonstrably less likely to speak out if they are denied minimum wages, meal breaks or safety equipment. And New York City’s restaurant industry is only one breeding ground for such violations. A groundbreaking multi-city report revealed just how these practices pervade occupations and industries throughout the low-wage labor market.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the agencies tasked to punish employers who break the law in hiring and abusing undocumented workers. And since last year, ICE has publicly shifted its focus from high-profile raids and mass arrests of these workers to behind-the-scenes criminal investigations of employers that rely on and exploit their labor. According to statistics from the agency, it has investigated over 2,070 businesses as of July 31, far more than the 1,500 conducted in 2009.
One such investigation culminated in charges against a Miami ….
http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2010/09/post_86.html
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