It appears as though the New York Times has stumbled upon a secret Donald Trump likely never wanted to get out. In an investigative piece, the news organization revealed that several of the workers employed by Donald Trump’s Bedminster, NJ golf club, are in fact here illegally.
Victoria Morales, who was interviewed and photographed for the piece, admitted that she had crossed the border illegally from Guatemala in 1999 and had worked at the golf club since 2013. Over the years, including the nearly two since Trump has been in office, Morales has interacted with the former reality T.V. star on a number of occasions. She was even awarded a certificate, highlighting her exemplary work during Trump’s very regular visits.
But the secret doesn’t end there. The report also alleges that there are a number of undocumented workers, much like Morales, who management knows, are not in the country legally. Sandra Diaz, a native of Costa Rica, also went on record and corroborated Morales claims that an unknown amount of people who work at the Bedminster property falsified documents in order to be employed there. Diaz, who was once counted among that group, is now a legal resident.
Together, the two women with the help of their attorney Anibal Romero, are now exploring a lawsuit claiming workplace abuse and discrimination. Romero told NPR that at the time Morales approached him to be her lawyer she said, “Enough is enough. It’s time to come out of the shadows and let people understand that we work hard in America and we are not criminals, we are good people who work hard.”
The accounts of Diaz and Morales contradict the very platform that Trump ran on and continues to decry today — that we must crack down on immigration and stop influx of illegal immigrants crossing our borders today.
In a statement responding to the allegations outlined in the New York Times article, the Trump organization told NPR, “We have tens of thousands of employees across our properties and have very strict hiring practices. If any employee submitted false documentation in an attempt to circumvent the law, they will be terminated immediately.”
