Thread: Illegal Mexican returns to R.I. for worker's comp suit

Mexican returns to R.I. in quest for justice

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 27, 2007
http://www.projo.com/news/content/INJUR ... 4ee02.html
By Karen Lee Ziner
Journal Staff Writer


The facial injury that Edgar Velásquez suffered in a chain saw accident, left, today have largely healed, above, although he says he continues to suffer headaches and recurring infections along the incision line.

The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires
PROVIDENCE — Edgar Velásquez, who sliced his face open with a chain saw last year while working for a Warwick tree service company, has waited a year in his remote Mexican village for the chance to return to this country and have his day in court.

Today, back in Rhode Island, he is going to court.

Velásquez, 22, was working for William J. Gorman Jr., owner of Billy G’s Tree Service, when the accident occurred on March 31, 2006. Though Velásquez was in the country illegally, state law allows an employee to pursue a workers’ compensation claim regardless of his or her immigration status, according to Chief Judge George E. Healey Jr. of the Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court.

On the day of a scheduled hearing, however, immigration agents arrested Velásquez outside the J. Joseph Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence. According to Velásquez, Gorman was standing nearby and called out, ‘Now Edgar, I’m sending you back to Mexico — I have no use for you now,’ and said, ‘Edgar, adios,’ as agents placed Velásquez in handcuffs.

One month later, Velásquez was returned to Mexico under what is known as “voluntary departure.â€

Just think about the care he would reciev in his own Country...NONE...so they come here

Those documents included a letter from Senator Reed’s office advocating for Velásquez’s temporary return on humanitarian grounds and a similar correspondence from Germann Murguia, the Mexican consul general in Boston.

Wonder if Reed gave him a calling card????????????

I hope he wins, just because of Gorman! I am totally against hiring illegals, but treating them like dirt when they are hard workers is not right.

The permit allows Velásquez to stay for five days. Barajas and Dennis said yesterday that if the case moves to trial, they will seek an extension of the permit.

Anybody want to bet that he stays here for a lot longer then five days...

THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY EMPLOYERS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST AMERICAN WORKERS IN FAVOR OF ILLEGAL WORKERS.

THE EMPLOYER DOES NOT EVEN HAVE WORK COMP INSURANCE. AND HE THINKS IF HE HIRES ILLEGALS THEY HAVE NO POWER TO SUE HIM IF THEY ARE INJURED. HE THINKS HE CAN JUST TOSS THEM OUT AND NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INJURED EMPLOYEE. WHAT A PIG GORMAN IS.

I AM GLAD HE IS BEING SUED. MANY ILLEGALS MIGHT NOT BE SO AGRESSIVE....OR MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO SUE. THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THEY CAN SUE. EMPLOYERS LIKE GORMAN LOVE THIS. THEY DONT WANT TO HIRE AMERICANS AND PAY THEM DECENT WAGES, OVERTIME, WORK COMP, BREAKS, FOLLOW LABOR LAWS....AND SO ON.

THEY PREFER TO HAVE CHEAP SLAVES THAT THEY CAN JUST THROW OUT WHEN THEY ARE FINISHED USING THEM. LIKE THEY ARENT EVEN HUMAN.

GORMAN SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS GUY'S INJURY....AND THEN HE SHOULD BE SENT TO PRISON FOR HIRING ILLEGALS.

CitizenJustice I agree with you. I strongly believe Gorman and his business ilks who treat illegals like dirt also will treat Americans like dirt. So I have no compassion for this.

No one should be treated like an animal. I recall a friend of mine who was at a dentist office, and I if I recall one of the patients in the waiting room was told about the cost and she realized they were intentionally overcharging him. The gentleman, my friend suspect, was an illegal alien. Then she got up and helped him out. As she told me if they can rip them off like they can rip us , the Americans too.

We must not tolerate Illegal Immigration, but no one deserved to treated like crap whether one is Illegal or Legal or Citizen, unless your a drug dealer, a molester, a murder, etc. then I don't care how they are treated.