Catholic Charities of Arkansas will be assisting the families of the 11 men arrested and detained on Social Security number fraud charges, director Sheila Gomez said this week.
On Aug. 23, immigration agents and U.S. marshals arrested the men who worked at the Country Club of Little Rock for allegedly using false Social Security numbers for employment. The men worked at the private club from one to nine years as landscapers and restaurant and banquet staff. The youngest is 18 years old. Ten of the men are from Mexico; one is from Honduras.
The charge is a felony and carries as much as five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
On Aug. 25, the men were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Little Rock. Each pleaded not guilty to the charges and is expected to appear in court for a jury trial Oct. 2. It is likely the cases will be joined together for one trial, but each person will be treated separately, said attorney Guillermo Hernandez, who is advising the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock.
Previously, the federal government employed the technique of “catch and release” when undocumented workers were caught. They would be processed and taken to the Mexican border, said Pat Houlihan, director of Catholic Charities Immigration Services in Little Rock. Now, it appears that federal authorities want to charge workers who have false documents with felonies and get a conviction in U.S. federal court.
“Any felony prevents you from ever getting legal status,” Houlihan said.
Gomez said a fund has been established by Catholic Charities for the families to help pay for bills and other basic needs. A couple who wished to remain anonymous donated $500 to the Family Assistance Fund, and other businesses and individuals have said they will be supporting the fund, Gomez said.
At one Spanish Mass at St. Edward Church in Little Rock Aug. 27, a spontaneous collection was taken up for the families, Deacon Marcelino Luna, diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry, said. All of funds were sent directly to Catholic Charities, he said.
Luna said several of the men and their families attend St. Edward Church.
“We are ready to get involved with their needs,” said Luna, who also serves at the parish. “We just need to know what we can do.”
Gomez said her agency would also be collecting food and diapers to distribute to the families.
On Aug. 28, Catholic Charities hosted a two-hour information meeting at St. John Center in Little Rock for the families with the Mexican consul Andres Chao, who arrived in Little Rock two weeks ago for his new appointment. The Mexican consulate office is expected to officially open in November.
About 50 people, including wives, mothers, sisters and children of the 11 arrested, attended the meeting to ask questions about the charges and how they can visit or talk to their loved ones in jail.
Chao’s office has been working with the Country Club of Little Rock and legal authorities to get information on the men and their futures.
“All the consulates are interested in protecting the Mexican people,” he said. “The point is to support the families. We are working with the country club to find a solution for the families and get their salaries. … We want to give them information about the legal situation.”
Chao said it is likely these men will be asked to plead guilty to the charges and be taken back to Mexico instead of prison sentences.
“It is not possible (for them to stay in the United States),” he said.
Following the meeting, Catholic Charities employees did interviews with some of the families to find out about their needs. Several of the families brought their young children, as young as one month old, to the meeting.
“What happened to these people illustrates the need for comprehensive immigration reform,” Gomez said. “Families are being torn apart.”
Gomez said Catholic Charities Immigration Services never encourages anyone to falsify documents and is in the business of obtaining legal status for immigrants. The only role the diocesan immigration office is serving in the case is as a liaison with the families and the U.S. Public Defender’s Office.
“We are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving hope to the hopeless,” she said. “Their lives are being torn apart. … I just go back to the Beatitudes. When someone crosses your path, Jesus didn’t say to ask to see someone’s green card. All persons have human dignity. We need to keep families together.”
