Although the thought of leaving his family tore him apart emotionally, he reasoned that if he took the job and worked for just two years, he could then send money home during his absence, and return home with enough savings to make his family more financially comfortable for a long time to come. So, he took the job.
Antonio did not realize that he had become the victim of the type of labor trafficking known as debt bondage…His only choice was to try in vain to work off his debts
When Antonio accepted the job, he thought that he would be employed full time, so when he arrived at his new place of employment, a large hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, he was very dismayed to learn that since it was the “off season” for tourists, the hotel had a low occupancy rate, and so they initially only gave him work only two days per week. In addition, after paying the very high fee charged by the employment agency, when he arrived at the hotel, he was told that he was required to pay for the cost of his transportation to the U.S., as well as the immigration visa fees (something normally paid by the employer), his apartment rent, and most of his meals. His employer forced him to live in a small, cramped apartment they had selected, which he had to share with three other hotel workers. As he soon found out, his employer was profiting from the substandard conditions in which they forced him to live, because they were charging him twice what the apartment landlord normally received for the same unit. In addition, his apartment was several miles from the hotel, and public transit was not available during the hours he needed it, so he had to walk back and forth to work, very early in the morning and late at night, in all weather conditions. He was free to come and go as he pleased while not at work, but he found it difficult to enjoy the time because it interfered with his purpose for taking the job, which was to earn and send as much money home as possible, and his living expenses left him little to no money for nonessential expenditures.
Antonio did not realize that he had become the victim of the type of labor trafficking known as debt bondage. The employment agency did not ask for his approval when they deducted from his paycheck the cost of his transportation to the U.S., his room and board, and the fees associated with the necessary immigration documents. As a result, he found himself in debt. His meager salary was not sufficient to reimburse his employer for the cost of transportation to the U.S. and his visa, let alone the costs of room and board that continued to accrue. His only choice was to try in vain to work off his debts.
Antonio felt at that time that there was nothing he could do to escape or improve his situation until his contract expired. His employer lied to him, telling him that if he took a second job, or if he was fired from, or quit his existing job, he would violate the terms of his immigration visa, which would put him at risk of being deported. His employer also threatened to report him to immigration officials if he took a second job. Antonio realized that he only had one option. If he left his job, he would lose his immigration visa status, and would have to pay for transportation back to his country, which he could not afford. Therefore, he sadly resigned himself to completing the seven-month term of his contract. Antonio and his roommates formed a close bond as they worked together to stretch their meager incomes, and came to depend on each other for emotional support.
Antonio sadly realized that coming to the U.S. as a temporary worker in a debt bondage arrangement is not the same as living here permanently.
A few months later, during the hotel’s “high season,” Antonio’s work load increased to thirteen hours per day. He was required to work eight hours per day cleaning ten “casitas,” the equivalent of ten small houses, and then to work as a banquet server for five hours each night. While he was very glad to be earning more money, his employer cheated him out of some of the money he earned by not giving him overtime pay, although it was legally required. He was always exhausted due to the long days, compounded by the necessity to walk long distances to and from work very early in the morning and late at night, his substandard living conditions, and a lack of healthy food because he and his roommates could not afford to buy it.
Antonio sadly realized that coming to the U.S. as a temporary worker in a debt bondage arrangement is not the same as living here permanently. At that time, although he knew that he was being taken advantage of by his employer in many ways, he did not realize that he was a victim of labor trafficking. He considered asking for help, but he knew he couldn’t appeal to the employment agency or the hotel management, and he didn’t really know his only American relative, who lived on the other side of the country, so he tried to make the best of his situation.
After seven months, his contract expired. He thought that he had the option to return home, but realized that his employer would not pay for his transportation home. In addition, his employer threatened to report him to immigration officials if he didn't renew his contract, since his visa would expire. Antonio could not afford to pay the cost of transportation home, and was afraid to risk deportation, so he resignedly signed up for another seven months, but this time at a hotel in Orange County, California. Although the employment agency charged him an inflated fee for renewing his immigration papers, and he dearly missed his family, he still hoped to complete the two year work commitment he had made to himself and his family. The only thing that changed was the location of the hotel – his expenses were still being unfairly deducted from his earnings, and his living conditions were still substandard.
When the second contract expired, Antonio decided that he needed to find a better situation. He believed that if he didn’t renew his contract, he risked deportation, but his hopes for a better life motivated him to take a chance and look for a new job in the U.S. A referral from a friend led to a job as a care taker in an assisted living facility in Los Angeles. The job included room and board plus a small amount of income, and he felt that he was doing something worthwhile, but he became an undocumented worker because the company refused to help him when he tried to apply for the necessary immigration papers. Fortunately, around that time, he was identified as a labor trafficking victim, which enabled him to apply for and receive a T Visa which would allow him to legally live and work in the U.S.
With the help of a large support network of community service providers, he found another job as a care taker, and applied for and received his T Visa. Sadly, he knew that it would be many years before he could legally return home to his native country, even for a visit. Due to this, Antonio was unable to visit his parents, whom he missed very much, but, with the help of community service providers, he was soon able to realize his dream of providing a better life for his children by bringing them to the U.S. to live with him.
Today, Antonio is enjoying his life. He remains in touch with his former roommates, who have become his good friends. He cherishes having his daughters with him, hopes to attending nursing school, and, as he wryly commented, looks forward to visiting that iconic American landmark, the Grand Canyon.