The Advocate - Deportation case riles residents (N. Stamford, CT)

The Advocate - Deportation case riles residents (N. Stamford, CT)

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-immigration10mar21,0,7396641.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

The Advocate
Deportation case riles residents
By Natasha Lee
Staff Writer

Published March 21 2007

STAMFORD - In a case that one lawyer says involves substandard wages, an attempted assault with a car and deceptive tactics by immigration officials, a Guatemalan cleaning woman faces deportation.

Alicia Lemus, 40, who works at several North Stamford homes, was served a summons yesterday to appear Tuesday before immigration officials in New Haven to determine whether she can stay in the country.

An immigration agent served Lemus with the summons yesterday at a North Stamford home where she sometimes cleans.

Lemus contacted her lawyer, Philip Berns, who called a news conference to condemn his client's treatment.

Although Berns declined to say what Lemus' legal status is, Lemus told The Advocate in November that she was in the United States illegally. Living in the country illegally is a civil violation.

Lemus spoke with the newspaper last year for a story on immigration enforcement and said she had lost several jobs in North Stamford after immigration officials warned homeowners not to hire illegal immigrants.

Two immigration agents at the 15 Blackberry Drive East home where Lemus was served a summons yesterday declined to comment.

"We would never discuss why an investigation was started or what led to the investigation until it's complete. It was all very routine . . . the kind of thing that happens every day," said Mike Gilhooly, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Berns said during the news conference that Lemus' former employer, another Blackberry Drive East resident, alerted immigration officials after Lemus quit over poor pay and working conditions.

Lemus could no longer support herself off the "eight hours of work for $20 a day" wages she was earning from the employer and quit after four months, Berns said.

Berns said the former employer had coerced Lemus into cleaning her house for meager pay by threatening to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if she didn't oblige.

On Monday, Lemus filed a complaint with Stamford police reporting that the former employer, identified as Calena Malanoski, tried to run her over on Long Ridge Road as she walked to a bus stop that morning.

The police report said Malanoski tried to hit Lemus with her car as she drove by.

A phone call to Malanoski was not returned last night.

According to the police report, Malanoski denied the allegations and told police Lemus had "exaggerated" the incident because of bad feelings about being fired, Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said.

In the report, Malanoski told police she let Lemus go after learning she was an "illegal alien," Shawinsky said.

Police said that because there were no witnesses and no one was injured, no arrests were made and no charges were filed. The incident remains under investigation, spokesman Lt. Sean Cooney said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not informed Stamford police of its activities in the city yesterday, Stamford police said.

Berns said it was "galling" that immigration officials would react to an alleged tip from a former employer and said immigration officials are targeting harmless foreigners who may or may not be in the country illegally, instead of illegal immigrants with criminal records and terrorist ties.

"I can't believe the Department of Homeland Security has nothing better to do but persecute the lowest and most hard-working population," he said. Owners of the home where Lemus was served yesterday were not home at the time. But Martha Farias, mother of the homeowner, Vivian Villacis, was there with Lemus when the immigration agents arrived.

Farias said one agent, Seth Taylor, barged through the door.

"He rang the bell and came in," she said.

Berns said the agent who served Lemus the papers yesterday did not properly identify himself and tried to force information from Lemus.

Lemus, who speaks little English, stood silently by Berns, allowing him to speak for her. Berns is a member of the city's Board of Representatives.

"I was treated like a criminal," Lemus told a television news reporter in Spanish.

Farias was sympathetic toward Lemus, who has cleaned several houses on Blackberry Drive East for the past two years, according to Berns.

"She needs money to eat. She doesn't have work," Farias said.

Staff Writer Zach Lowe contributed to this story.



Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.