In a politically heated and controversial move, Meg Whitman’s former housekeeper has come forward alleging the California gubernatorial candidate mistreated her during her time of employment. Housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan’s attorney Gloria Allred claims that Whitman was aware of Santillan’s status as an illegal immigrant and that she fired the housekeeper after the woman asked for help.
Whitman maintains that she knew nothing of Santillan’s status as an illegal immigrant, but does admit to firing the housekeeper in 2009, after Santillan revealed her secret.
“After 9 years of faithful service, Nicky came to us in June 2009 and confessed that she was an illegal worker,” Whitman said in a statement. “Nicky had falsified the hiring documents and personal information she provided to the employment agency that brought her to us in 2000. Nicky told me that she was admitting her deception now because she was aware that her lie might come out during the campaign. Nicky said she was concerned about hurting my family and me.”
Allred claims her client was “exploited, disrespected, humiliated and emotionally and financially abused” and says Santillan plans to file suit over unpaid wages.
According to Allred, “when Nicky indicated to Ms. Whitman in March 2005, that she needed to take a medical leave of absence for pregnancy, she alleges that she was told that unless she herself obtained someone to replace her, that her job might not be there for her when she returned.”
Exploitation of immigrant workers is a real and growing problem in the U.S., but no one can say for certain who is telling the truth in this case. Santillan claims that Whitman had to have known about her undocumented status because the Social Security Administration sent repeated letters notifying her employer that the Social Security Number Santillan provided at the time of her hiring did not match records. Whitman maintains she never saw the letters, and indicates that Santillan was responsible for bringing in the mail.
Federal laws provide stiff penalties for anyone who forces others to work in servitude, and the government may be able to protect immigrant workers who have been exploited. Immigration lawyers should be the first point of contact for any undocumented worker in need of assistance. The information you give to an attorney will not be used to turn you in or have you deported because of the attorney-client privilege.