Illegal Workers Hired by a D.C. Government Contractor

D.C. officials say they will investigate whether a compnay used illegal workers to move furniture from some public schools.

As Jessica Forres reports, the company denies that claim even though some of the workers admit they are undocumented...

LISTEN TO STORY 1 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Sitting behind a desk at the office of ASN Investments in Bethesda is Nemesia Aguilar...who says she is a supervisor for Motir Services, the parent company, she says, of ASN.

Motir was hired by D.C.'s School Construction Office to move the furniture from schools that have been closed.

Aguilar says her company verified the immigration status of the workers...

OF COURSE IT'S A CERTIFIED PAYROLL. YOU CANNOT BE INCOMPLIANT WITH THE LAW.

But three of the workers say no one ever asked them for their social security numbers or identifcation.

Richard...he would only give his first name....says his first paycheck was made payable to cash. He's still waiting for his second one....

THEY SAID WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR NEXT PAYCHECK ON THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY THEIR EXCUSE IS THAT THE PRIME CONTRACTOR MOTIR SERVICES DIDN'TGET PAID FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

Another says the company threatened him and others when they returned a week later to pick up those second checks...

TRYING TO TELL US TO BE THANKFUL THAT WE GOT A JOB AND WE GOT WORK ANDTHAT THEY CAN CALL IMMIGRATION ON US LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PAPERS.

Whether the workers are legal or illegal depends on whom you ask.

We asked this man...

TU ESTAS LEGAL? NO

Tony Robinson, who works with D.C's School Construction Office, says Motir will be paid after it submits an invoice and a certified payroll list and after his office determines if any laws were violated...

IF THE SUBCONTRACTOR IS IN VIOLATION HE CAN BE SURE OF ONE THING, HE WILL NOT BE WORKING ON DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE FUTURE.

Motir Services also lists The National Institutes of Health and Andrews Airforce Base among its clients.

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D.C's School Construction Office plans to determine whether acontractor hired to move furniture is using undocumented workers to dothe job.

Jessica Forres reports...

LISTEN TO STORY 2 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

ASN Investments is a subcontractor for Motir Services which was hired to do the heavy lifting.

At its offices in Bethesda, we found five men...none of whom speak English...sitting in a large room, waitingfor their paychecks.

They claim the company owes them money; at least one of them admits that he is working illegally.

Outside in the parking lot, another worker...who says he does have a Green Card…is standing with three others. He didn't want to give his name....

BASICALLY, WE DIDN'T FILL IN ANY SOCIAL SECURITY, WE DIDN'T SHOW ANY FORM OF IDENTIFICATION.

Back inside, Nemesia Aguilar, who says she is a project supervisor for Motir Services, rejects the notion that any of the workers are illegal...

NO THAT'S NOT TRUE. PEOPLE ALWAYS YOU KNOW. WHEN YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS TRYING HA HA HA HA HA.

Tony Robinson…a spokesperson for the School Construction Office… says it will determine if the company has violated any laws once an invoice and a certified payroll list is submitted by the contractor....

WE GET INVOICED ON CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE WORK. SO ONCE WE VERIFY THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE, THEN YES WE MAKE PAYMENT BUT ON THIS MATTER WE CERTAINLY WILL TAKE ANOTHER LOOK TO MAKE SURE THE CONTRACTOR AND SUBCONTRACTOR DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AND THEY HAD THE CORRECT PEOPLE DOING THE WORK.

Robinson says the contract with Motir is worth approximately three and a half million dollars.

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