Alabama Judge Rules Illegal Immigrant Due Workers Comp for L
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Omar Santos-Cruz came to the United States illegally from Mexico and went to work building houses in one of Alabama's fanciest neighborhoods before he was seriously injured in March of last year at age 17.
A court has now ruled that Santos-Cruz is due workers compensation benefits and medical care for life despite being in the country illegally. The case is a possible legal precedent and a sign of things to come for builders who have come to rely on immigrant laborers in a booming housing market.
But the Home Builders Association of Alabama cited the immigration status of Santos-Cruz when it intervened in the case and asked the judge to deny benefits for the teen, who was partially paralyzed while working on a home in the upscale Greystone development in suburban Birmingham.
In a decision filed October 18th, the judge ruled that Henry Lambert Construction must pay Santos-Cruz workers compensation benefits of $240 a week for the rest of his life and also must cover all his medical bills.