Another Reason to Hire Responsibly

Previously we interviewed subcontractor and human rights activist Brandon Darby about human trafficking in the U.S. and its impact on the construction industry.  During the interview, Darby stated: “Many people confuse the issue of human trafficking with illegal immigration, but they are not the same.”

The office of New Mexico Attorney General Gary King does not assist with immigration status, but does endeavor to help immigrants who are treated unfairly or unlawfully.  In their brochure titled Immigrant Consumer Services, the AG’s office explains:

“As immigrants adjust to life in America; enter the workplace; pay taxes; seek education; open bank accounts; and purchase goods and services, they often fall prey to consumer abuses that thrive in the low-income communities in which many immigrants live.”

One of the issues the office works on is apprehending immigration consultants who are not authorized to perform legal immigration work.  This billboard spotted along Highway 550 in northern New Mexico suggests that they are also dealing with human trafficking.  Contractors can no longer turn a blind eye to the status of the workers hired by their subcontractors, or they may find themselves sharing the consequences not only of payroll fraud, but also of the dark practice of human trafficking.