Lawyer for undocumented Trump Organization workers seeks investigation

The lawyer representing two undocumented immigrants working at one of President Trump’s golf resorts is asking New Jersey officials to investigate their treatment.

Victorina Morales, an immigrant from Guatemala, and Sandra Diaz, a native of Costa Rica, told the New York Times that they both worked for years at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., along with several other undocumented immigrants, and that their supervisors knew their employment violated U.S. law.

“While working at Donald Trump’s estate in Bedminster and interacting with the President and his immediate family, my clients and others were repeatedly subjected to abuse, called racial epithets and threatened with deportation,” Anibal Romero, a lawyer representing Morales and Diaz, said in a statement to Yahoo News. “Ironically, the threats often came from the same supervisor who had employed them despite knowing their undocumented status, and even provided them with forged documents. This toxic environment was designed to intimidate these women, leaving them fearful for their safety and the safety of their families.”

Romero said that his clients have shown “tremendous bravery” for coming forward with their story, especially given the threat of deportation. Interviewed by the Times, Morales said she was routinely subjected to derogatory comments from a supervisor, and came forward out of anger over Trump’s comments likening Central American immigrants to criminals.

“Many of the abuses to which my clients were subjected constitute crimes. We call upon New Jersey’s law enforcement community and federal authorities to investigate these allegations immediately and to help protect these brave women and others who may now come forward.”

When reached by Yahoo News, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s office declined to comment on whether it would investigate the claims made by Romero’s clients.

Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not address the allegations of mistreatment but said the golf club had a policy of not hiring undocumented immigrants.

“We have tens of thousands of employees across our properties and have very strict hiring practices. If any employee submitted false documentation in an attempt to circumvent the law, they will be terminated immediately.”

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