Thread: Investigation Reveals Questionable Hiring Practices

Investigation Reveals Questionable Immigrant Hiring Practices
Undercover Producer Had Similar Results At Different Locations

Reported By Jeremy Finley

POSTED: 12:13 pm CDT May 7, 2007
UPDATED: 6:49 pm CDT May 7, 2007



NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- An I-Team undercover investigation exposed what happened when employers met a man they believed was an illegal immigrant.

In some cases, not only did employers seem willing to hire him, the way they behave may make residents ask if employers encouraged him to cheat the system.

The I-Team sent a Channel 4 producer, who is Hispanic, to businesses all over town to see if it was possible to get a job without documentation.


The first location the undercover producer was sent to was a construction site.

"Hello. I'm looking for a job,” the producer said to one of the workers at the site.

The site didn't have any openings but the employee told the producer he wouldn’t need immigration papers if they were hiring.

"And you ask for papers?” the producer said.

The man said “no.”

A tree trimming company wasn't hiring either, but the supervisor advised the producer on what he might need if they were.

“I'm in need of a job, and so, do you have to have papers or what?" the producer asked.

“Well, just with fake papers. Fake papers, I believe,” the man said.

Everywhere the undercover producer went, employers or employees seemed to be talking about and even suggesting that the producer get fake immigration papers.

The producer was sent to another construction site.

When he was told they weren’t hiring, a man at the site told him he might have a chance at area restaurants.

“They hire in restaurants. There's a Mexican restaurant over here you should ask. You might have a chance,” the worker said.

The I-Team sent the producer to a national fast-food chain restaurant.

Moments after the producer walked in the door, he was hired.

“We need a day shift,” the manager told the supervisor.

"Hire him,” the supervisor said.

“And papers, what do you ask for?" the producer said.

“A card and Social Security, do you have any?" the manager asked.

“No,” the producer said.

The manager then asked if the producer had any fake papers.

The producer asked the manager if fake immigration papers would be OK.

"Yes. Everybody in here has those. They don't check over here,” the manager said.

The manager said they didn’t have any but advised the producer that he needed to buy some fake papers.

The I-Team’s findings were shown to both sides of the immigration debate.

"She did everything but go tell them where to buy them,” said Theresa Harmon of Tennessee for Responsible Immigration Policies. "It just makes my blood boil. It's almost unbelievable if you didn't realize it was already going on.”

"It's disturbing, but not very surprising,” said Stephen Fotopulous of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

“This is a symptom of a very broken system. The entire immigration system is designed to fail,” Fotopulous said.

Despite the differing sides of the debate, both sides agreed that there is a problem with fake papers.

Since the findings could have been a one time occurrence, the I-Team thought it was fair not to name the businesses.

One of the managers at the fast-food location said it wasn’t right to get fake papers, but went ahead and encouraged the producer to get them.

Watch Channel 4 News Tuesday for lawmakers’ reactions to the I-Team’s findings.

http://www.wsmv.com/news/13270468/detail.html

He would have had more luck in Miami and got a better paying job. Sad but true.

He could come to California and with an hour he could have a SS Card, a Driver's License, and a Birth Certificate.