CARROLLTON, Texas – Maria Martinez’ attempt to land a cafeteria job at a suburban Dallas hospital got her arrested, jailed and deported.
She used a counterfeit social security number on her application to Trinity Medical Center, but her relatives and supporters wonder whether the hospital overreacted by calling the police.
During yet another year marked by several high profile immigration raids targeting both undocumented workers and the companies who hire them, the Martinez case raises questions about what employers can or should do if they discover an applicant is not authorized to work legally in the U.S.
A spokeswoman for the medical center here contends the hospital was simply following policy and has a responsibility to report criminal activity, including possible identity theft.
It may be hospital policy, but employers aren’t required to report a worker or applicant suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, say immigration attorneys and enforcement officials.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok agreed, saying employers and local police typically don’t have the training needed to determine whether someone is in the country illegally.
Carrollton’s mayor has emphasized that one of his priorities is to rid the city of illegal immigrants. The neighboring suburb of Farmers Branch has unsuccessfully tried to prohibit landlords from renting houses and apartments to tenants who cannot prove they are in the U.S. legally.
Martinez, a single mother of a 3-year-old son and a teenage daughter, acknowledged buying the social security card for $110 at a Wal-Mart., according to police records.
She also had a second social security card and two counterfeit cards stating she was a legal permanent resident.
She had planned to fight the state charge, but after being held in jail for nearly three weeks, she agreed to be deported to Mexico. Her son joined her there.