http://www.gazette.net/stories/051106/f ... 1946.shtml

Restaurant fires illegal immigrant after Gazette report
Article featuring McDonald’s worker draws attention from patrons
Thursday, May 11, 2006
by Rebecca McClay
Staff Writer

A Brunswick man who had agreed to allow The Gazette to publish the story of his flight from Mexico to Frederick County has been fired from his job at McDonald’s.

Silvestre Bareilla, a maintenance technician, was featured in a package on illegal immigration on April 27.

Several patrons of the McDonald’s on Jefferson Pike in Knoxville read the article and saw the accompanying photo of Bareilla and called restaurant managers, who subsequently fired him, Bareilla said.

Bareilla said he had used false identification to apply for the job, which is in walking distance from his home. He said he had been forwarding a large portion of his $900 paychecks to his wife and three children in Mexico.

McDonald’s human resource consultant Tonya Bell submitted an official statement to The Gazette Wednesday.

‘‘Our company-owned restaurants as well as those owned and operated by independent franchisees are required to follow local, state and federal employment laws, including those related to employment eligibility,” Bell wrote. ‘‘The reason for this individual’s respective dismissal was in accordance with these employment laws.”

Bell described McDonald’s position on the topic of immigration as embracing a change in current immigration policy.

‘‘McDonald’s strongly supports comprehensive U.S. immigration reform,” Bell wrote. ‘‘Immigrants have contributed to the growth and prosperity of our nation and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”

Before The Gazette story was published, Bareilla said he was aware of the possible consequences — losing his job or deportation to Mexico — once the newspaper’s readers learned his story. He told a reporter he did not fear police as he didn’t use drugs or alcohol, was not a member of a street gang and lived an otherwise crime-free life.

Bareilla said he was willing to take the risk of making his story public, because he thought it was important that his neighbors learn how the life of an immigrant is similar to the life of a typical American.

Bareilla said he was a former professional soccer player in Mexico, and came to the U.S. after a leg injury hampered his income. He said he had no regrets about leaving his gated community in his home country to reside in a small apartment with his cousin and three friends.

Following his termination, Bareilla said he planned to return to Mexico — likely permanently — on Saturday as he has found few immediate job opportunities in Frederick County. He said his phone service had been cut off and he had no funds for food or rent.

McDonald’s regulars Lynn and Betty Follin of Brunswick said that they, along with many other customers, were distraught to learn that Bareilla had been fired.

‘‘This guy is a hard-working person,” Lynn Follin said. ‘‘It’s such a shame. He’s always been friendly. ... We feel terrible about it. Quite a few people feel awful about it.”

Lynn Follin said he believed Bareilla, whom he called ‘‘Pablo,” was contributing more to American society than other illegal immigrants because he was receiving paychecks that withheld taxes.

‘‘It’s important to know this guy was paying taxes,” Follin said. ‘‘McDonald’s is a big corporation. They’re not going to pay someone under the table.”

Follin, a retired small business owner, said he was impressed with Bareilla’s work ethic as he had frequently seen Bareilla outside washing windows or cleaning, ‘‘never sitting down or relaxing.”

‘‘He makes a good citizen,” Follin said. ‘‘I always said if I had a business again, I would hire him. We thought he was such a good worker and he deserves to get some kind of citizenship.”