Wealthy couple guilty of enslaving maid, Woman earned just $18,000 over 19 years Options

[Jasel]

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A federal jury found a wealthy suburban couple guilty Friday of harboring an illegal immigrant and forcing her to work as their maid for 19 years.

The Filipino national testified during the eight-day trial that she felt like a prisoner in Jefferson and Elnora Calimlim's home.

The couple was found guilty of harboring an illegal immigrant for financial gain, conspiracy to harbor an illegal immigrant for financial gain, forced labor and attempted forced labor.

Their eldest son, 31-year-old Jefferson M. Calimlim, was found guilty of harboring an illegal immigrant, one of three charges against him.

Irma Martinez testified she worked 16 hour days for minimal pay for the couple, physicians who are legal residents of the United States but citizens of the Philippines.

The Calimlims face prison, fines, deportation and forfeiture of their $1.2 million home when sentenced September 15. Their U.S.-born son faces prison and fines.

In closing arguments Thursday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed Martinez volunteered to work for five years as a live-in maid and nanny for the Calimlims and their three children.

But prosecutors said Martinez "lost the best years of her life" because she feared imprisonment and deportation if she left the family.

"The defendants stole 19 years of Irma Martinez's life," said Susan French, a prosecutor from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. "They stole 19 years of freedom."

She said the couple benefited from Martinez's cheap labor.

Jefferson N. Calimlim's attorney, Tom Brown, told jurors the couple had plenty of money to hire an American worker. He said Elnora Calimlim wanted a Filipino maid because she had one while growing up in the Philippines, and she wanted only to help a fellow Filipino.

Elnora Calimlim testified Martinez earned $150 a month for the first 10 years and $400 a month thereafter. Most of the money went to Martinez's parents, who French said received about $18,000 over the 19 years.

Martinez would have earned about $480,000 over that period had the Calimlims paid her a U.S. minimum wage for her 16-hour days, a U.S. Department of Labor witness testified.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/05/26/slave.labor.ap/index.html

I think this might be my first topic in the Filipino section. Wish it could have been on a happier note.

[The-Foreigner]

Come on fellas, we dont know the full story to that.

I agree the wage in which she was paid was apalling but what if it was agreed between all parties prior to her coming here just so the girl doesnt get bogged down in poverty and just for her to have a meal at the end of the day? And so the court wanted to make an example of the family Calimlim and so cut a bargain with the maid that if she testifies against the slavedrivers they'll be lenient with her?

The maid didnt have to stay with them if it were really that bad, think about it. In a very free moving country like the usa why would anyone would need to stay at a place like that? This isnt like the middle east ya know, where they are blatantly worked like dogs, Ok they might've have brainwashed her but she must've realised she'd be in as much sh!t as those who gave her a roof to stay in.

I heard of a similar case like this back in england where there was a family made an example of for haboring illegal aliens, the family was in truth helping someone out but as the authorities got hold of this individual they bargained with him so he doesnt share the same fate of the family he was staying with.

Im not saying the calimlims were right or wrong, we dont know for sure what went on.

Im curious, of all the illegals coming through the border, do they actually catch any and deport them too?, and make a sample of those who harbor them or they just picking on some poor as$ filipino nationals?

This post has been edited by The-Foreigner: May 27 2006, 06:12 PM