Illegal immigrants employed and exploited at Georgia restaurant

http://www.fox30online.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=C519A7B4-F9EB-49D9-B73F-0F3260989851

Last Update: 3/16/2006 9:33:25 AM

They came to America looking for a better life; one man trying to send enough money home for his mother to get a new pacemaker, another looking forward to college.

The men in question are illegal immigrants, discovered by investigators to be employed and housed by a Georgia restaurant. But beyond illegal employment, the investigation revealed tales of exploitation and abuse of the workers.

"He came here with a goal in mind, which was to raise some funds and return to Mexico to attend [a] University."

While the men say they came to America with goals in mind, what they got was a job working 13 hours a day, 6 days a week for $1,000 dollars a month. And when they complained, they say were threatened.

The men finally found Ablaze Academy at Ablaze Baptist Church.

"They came in every morning, [and] stayed for 2-3 hours to learn the English language," says Valerie Lewis with Ablaze Academy. "They were very devoted."

But after attending the church, they say they were told by the restaurant they had to quit.

"When [their] manager found out they were coming here to learn English," says Lewis, "he told them they couldn't come here anymore, that this place would turn them into immigration."

When they asked for a portion of their tips, they say they were fired and kicked out of their one bedroom apartment they shared with 4 other employees.

The complex manager says the restaurant was the tenant. But the restaurant manager denied that there were too many workers living in the apartments and said the workers were well paid.

"It depends on what job they're doing. For the cooker, it's $15 an hour," says Coco Zhang with the Royal Buffet.

Zhang also claimed she didn't know they were illegal, and admitted they didn't ask for any documentation.

According to the EEOC, the agency responsible for working conditions, they will be investigating the restaurant.

For now, the workers are staying at Ablaze Baptist Church.