Proudly harboring the undocumented

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So effectively an indentured servant?

She said she and her neighbors pay him very well.

Such a cop out by the MAGA folks to label the guy an indentured servant. There's nothing in our relationship that makes him one. By their definition, anyone who works for anyone else is an indentured servant.

I'll spell it right out: the premise of the posters who are so worked up by what I'm doing is that I have some kind of moral obligation to favor the "American" worker simply because they had the happy accident of being born here. That's bullshit. I'll hire a good and honest man regardless of where they're from and regardless of their legal status, and I'll pay them well for doing good work. I'm a conscientious objector to our flawed and racially biased immigration system. End of story.

Do you believe that the US should have open borders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tax fraud? Shouldn’t he be paying taxes on income and reporting it.

How do you know he's not?

It would take a lot of undocumented immigrants to equal the amount of income tax fraud the Trumps (not just Donald) have committed over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You pay VERY VERY well in CASH so that income doesn't get reported or taxed by your state or the federal government. The worker gets screwed if he gets hurt because he has no health or disability insurance when working with equipment that could be dangerous to his health. He gets no social security when he gets old and his body is worn down.

There is a chance your gardener actually can work legally in the US but it is a way better to get all you money in cash in the short-term because you don't have to report it. If your Gardner came in the last three years chances are they claimed asylum and can legally work.

He’s been here 20 years. Has never claimed asylum. There’s virtually zero chance he could ever legalize his situation—especially under the current administration. People who say stuff like that simply don’t understand how our immigration system and process works. Guys like him for all practical purposes can never, ever get legal status here under the law.

He doesn’t work with heavy equipment. You’re right — he can’t get social security or any benefits should he ever get hurt (or when he gets old) but there’s nothing I can do about any of that other than pay him well and hope he manages his money well.

Finally, the idea that I somehow personally benefit from paying in cash is ridiculous. He does not work for me full-time—he works throughout the neighborhood and elsewhere as well. I don’t know everything he does, but I know what I and the neighbor who recommended him to me pay him. I probably personally end up paying him maybe $1500 a season? I pay over $30 a hour.

The guy works like a horse and goes home. That’s all he does. I don’t know where he lives or who he lives with and I don’t ask. All I know is he isn’t married and doesn’t drink. Never has. He’s extremely honest and reliable. He’ll text when he plans to arrive; he shows up, does what he thinks needs to be done, and leaves. If I’m not here when he comes, he’ll text me how many hours he worked and the next time I see him I pay him.

I speak Spanish fluently. I text him from when I haven’t heard from him and make sure he’s ok and lying low—which he always is. I think he’s being pretty smart. If ICE finds him and does anything with him that puts firmly to rest any bullshit claim that they’re only going after the “bad guys.”

Well . . . you should be asking him to get a TIN and you should be issuing a 1099. Or, I would have said that a year ago. Now, with DHS having free access to IRS records, probably safer not to.

It seems to not occur to people that plenty of undocumented people have bank accounts, credit ratings, buy houses, etc. But I think you need a TIN of some kind to open bank/credit accounts.

I wouldn't call OP a "white savior" I assume she did not pluck this guy from the line at Home Depot. And I think she and her neighbors are perfectly free--and fine--to decide they won't be the narcs in this situation. How many of you people call the FBI to tell them how many UMC adults were smoking weed at the last neighborhood cocktail party or BBQ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with the way MAGAs are approaching this as hunting down immigrants for sport, but there needs to be humane immigration reform. Plenty of people all over the world are in bad situations and would love to live in the US. Laws need to be respected.

The US and mostly Western European countries have historically done real damage to countries in South America and Africa. They are still living in impoverished unstable countries. Same with the Middle East with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Assad in Syria and now Israel working to exterminate a whole group of Palestinians. People who have never known what it feels like to feel safe, to have a real home and a stable job. They will do what they have to keep their families alive. Most of these immigrants have a story to tell. Not all but the stories are heartbreaking.

There was a picture of a Palestinian women holding a boy that might have been about 13 years old with tears brimming around his eyes. I wondered how long before that profound sadness turns to anger and violence. It will be justified but this boy and his peers, if they make it to adulthood, will have a hard time getting people to listen. This will just be another denied holocaust and history books will not be kind to the US.

To OP, good job. If we all do what we can, the small acts of kindness can change people’s lives for the better.

The silly romanticization is a bit much, not to mention totally ahistorical.







The people of South and Central America and Africa engaged in ongoing wars of conquest (and sometimes annihilation) long before Europeans or Americans had any meaningful impact whatsoever. And the history of the ME is arguably the bloodiest per cap in world history, even if one excludes all conflict involving extra-regional powers.

TLDR? You’re a fantastist.

Sounds just like whatshername whining about the Smithsonian making slavery all about white people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of fools in the US. Overpaying for mediocre yard work? Probably the same people who kept on their cleaners and pained them for not cleaning during the pandemic. Just to realize that their slot has been taken by those who paid for actual cleaning and be cast to the side once the restrictions were lifted.
The same way this gardening guy is laughing all the way to the bank, pardon me, to a western Union location.

There is loyalty in cleaners and landscapers. We had a cleaner for ten years. She was from South America and she was lovely. She never missed a day in ten days, once a week. She went back to her country and bought a farm. She had one of her friends take over for her but not for the nasty clients who complained, never gave her a year end bonus or vacation pay. She wouldn’t do that to her friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This story is bizarre. A gardener randomly knocks in your door with no tools including no power tools or wheelbarrow, extra trash can or container to move things, gets hired by OP to do yard work and gets paid $36 an hour but only seasonally. The guy can come whenever he wants and work as many hours as he wants. And add to that he can do whatever he wants in your yard. So how do you even know someone can’t do an equal or better job who is legal?

And OP you aren’t the savior you think you are. If you think he has such specialized skill no one else possesses then you actually could have sponsored him to get a green card. You just have to wrote it up in a certain way and post adds giving Americans a chance to apply.

Several family members actually have sponsored household workers and those workers have gotten green cards and gone on to become US citizens.

OP here. There is nothing bizarre about the story at all.

He didn’t just knock on my door, for starters. Shortly after moving into the neighborhood, I became friendly with a neighbor woman. I complimented her on her yard. She told me she had help and offered to ask if he had extra time. I said great. She told me he didn’t speak English and was undocumented. I said that’s fine I’m fluent in Spanish. She said she wished she was.

She gave him my phone number and he reached out. We met and I hired him.

He has a lot of experience in yardwork and landscaping, which I don’t. When he showed up, he made suggestions. He told me what to buy and what he would do with it. He then came and did it. I was very impressed.

Every time he comes back, I remind him that he can come and go as he pleases, do whatever he thinks is necessary, keep track of his hours, and tell me how long he’s worked and I will pay him. That is our arrangement. There’s nothing bizarre about it. It’s called trusting another human being.

We talk every time he is here. I know his marital situation, I know where he lives, I know he has a daughter, I know how long he’s been in the country, I know he’s undocumented, I know his health situation. I always remind him to keep his head down. He understands that.

Your suggestion that I sponsor him is ridiculous. There is zero chance he could ever become legal in this country. What you were saying is laughable and naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tax fraud? Shouldn’t he be paying taxes on income and reporting it.

How do you know he's not?

It would take a lot of undocumented immigrants to equal the amount of income tax fraud the Trumps (not just Donald) have committed over the years.

OP here. Honestly I don’t believe he’s paying any income taxes. But he probably wouldn’t owe very much anyway. He’s also not burdening the system at all. He’s not taking advantage of any government programs etc. And of course he IS paying other taxes, just not income taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You pay VERY VERY well in CASH so that income doesn't get reported or taxed by your state or the federal government. The worker gets screwed if he gets hurt because he has no health or disability insurance when working with equipment that could be dangerous to his health. He gets no social security when he gets old and his body is worn down.

There is a chance your gardener actually can work legally in the US but it is a way better to get all you money in cash in the short-term because you don't have to report it. If your Gardner came in the last three years chances are they claimed asylum and can legally work.

He’s been here 20 years. Has never claimed asylum. There’s virtually zero chance he could ever legalize his situation—especially under the current administration. People who say stuff like that simply don’t understand how our immigration system and process works. Guys like him for all practical purposes can never, ever get legal status here under the law.

He doesn’t work with heavy equipment. You’re right — he can’t get social security or any benefits should he ever get hurt (or when he gets old) but there’s nothing I can do about any of that other than pay him well and hope he manages his money well.

Finally, the idea that I somehow personally benefit from paying in cash is ridiculous. He does not work for me full-time—he works throughout the neighborhood and elsewhere as well. I don’t know everything he does, but I know what I and the neighbor who recommended him to me pay him. I probably personally end up paying him maybe $1500 a season? I pay over $30 a hour.

The guy works like a horse and goes home. That’s all he does. I don’t know where he lives or who he lives with and I don’t ask. All I know is he isn’t married and doesn’t drink. Never has. He’s extremely honest and reliable. He’ll text when he plans to arrive; he shows up, does what he thinks needs to be done, and leaves. If I’m not here when he comes, he’ll text me how many hours he worked and the next time I see him I pay him.

I speak Spanish fluently. I text him from when I haven’t heard from him and make sure he’s ok and lying low—which he always is. I think he’s being pretty smart. If ICE finds him and does anything with him that puts firmly to rest any bullshit claim that they’re only going after the “bad guys.”

Well . . . you should be asking him to get a TIN and you should be issuing a 1099. Or, I would have said that a year ago. Now, with DHS having free access to IRS records, probably safer not to.

It seems to not occur to people that plenty of undocumented people have bank accounts, credit ratings, buy houses, etc. But I think you need a TIN of some kind to open bank/credit accounts.

I wouldn't call OP a "white savior" I assume she did not pluck this guy from the line at Home Depot. And I think she and her neighbors are perfectly free--and fine--to decide they won't be the narcs in this situation. How many of you people call the FBI to tell them how many UMC adults were smoking weed at the last neighborhood cocktail party or BBQ?

There is no way in hell I would encourage the guy in the current environment to get an ITIN number. That would be insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in a very red state, and we and the neighbors are all happily harboring an undocumented immigrant from Latin America who does tremendous yardwork for all of us. We pay very very well. And we advise on how to keep their head low and avoid ICE.


I have no qualms about this. What is going on in this country right now is morally wrong. These people work their butts off, are law abiding good people and make our country great. THEY’RE doing that. Not MAGA.

If you are telling the truth then you are a fool. The likelihood that Trump has members of his ICE goon squad monitoring social media is 100%. Don't be surprised when your house is surrounded and both your front and back doors battered off their hinges and all of you handcuffed, arrested, and sent to El Salvador's infamous prison. ICE and Homeland Security don't give a rat's derriere whether you are a citizen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in a very red state, and we and the neighbors are all happily harboring an undocumented immigrant from Latin America who does tremendous yardwork for all of us. We pay very very well. And we advise on how to keep their head low and avoid ICE.


I have no qualms about this. What is going on in this country right now is morally wrong. These people work their butts off, are law abiding good people and make our country great. THEY’RE doing that. Not MAGA.

If you are telling the truth then you are a fool. The likelihood that Trump has members of his ICE goon squad monitoring social media is 100%. Don't be surprised when your house is surrounded and both your front and back doors battered off their hinges and all of you handcuffed, arrested, and sent to El Salvador's infamous prison. ICE and Homeland Security don't give a rat's derriere whether you are a citizen.

I don’t post about my undocumented worker on social media. In fact, I don’t even know his last name. But I don’t blame you for your paranoia. The Gestapo is out in full force.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So effectively an indentured servant?

She said she and her neighbors pay him very well.

Such a cop out by the MAGA folks to label the guy an indentured servant. There's nothing in our relationship that makes him one. By their definition, anyone who works for anyone else is an indentured servant.

I'll spell it right out: the premise of the posters who are so worked up by what I'm doing is that I have some kind of moral obligation to favor the "American" worker simply because they had the happy accident of being born here. That's bullshit. I'll hire a good and honest man regardless of where they're from and regardless of their legal status, and I'll pay them well for doing good work. I'm a conscientious objector to our flawed and racially biased immigration system. End of story.

Do you believe that the US should have open borders?

Pretty much, yea. I mean, people should be vetted in the sense that we don’t want criminals. But the current system slams the door on the large majority of foreigners regardless of who they are and doesn’t even offer them a chance. Immigration is what made this country great. We can’t forget that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tax fraud? Shouldn’t he be paying taxes on income and reporting it.

How do you know he's not?

It would take a lot of undocumented immigrants to equal the amount of income tax fraud the Trumps (not just Donald) have committed over the years.

OP here. Honestly I don’t believe he’s paying any income taxes. But he probably wouldn’t owe very much anyway. He’s also not burdening the system at all. He’s not taking advantage of any government programs etc. And of course he IS paying other taxes, just not income taxes.

How can you both be paying him so very well, but you don't think he would owe income tax? That would make him an extremely low earner. Which is it OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tax fraud? Shouldn’t he be paying taxes on income and reporting it.

How do you know he's not?

It would take a lot of undocumented immigrants to equal the amount of income tax fraud the Trumps (not just Donald) have committed over the years.

OP here. Honestly I don’t believe he’s paying any income taxes. But he probably wouldn’t owe very much anyway. He’s also not burdening the system at all. He’s not taking advantage of any government programs etc. And of course he IS paying other taxes, just not income taxes.

How can you both be paying him so very well, but you don't think he would owe income tax? That would make him an extremely low earner. Which is it OP?

This is what I know. He works in our neighborhood for maybe half the year. I know what I pay him, how often he works here, etc., and I know what the neighbor pays him and have a general sense of how much he works for her. Beyond that, I don’t know much. He’s told me that in the past he’s harvested apples and done other agricultural work late in the season when there’s no work here, but now he’s being more careful about that because of ICE.

I don’t think he’s making $36 an hour 40 hours a week, that’s for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll take "things that never happened" for $200 Alex.

You can say that all you want, but it doesn't make it any more true. Here is my last text exchange with the guy, translated from Spanish:

"Hi, you can expect me on Monday around noon.

Hi, ok perfect, I won't be here when you arrive because I'm taking the grandkids to a matinee but I'll be back before you finish I'm sure."

That's how we operate. I have no reason to make this up. Why in the world would you think it's so unbelievable? Because I actually pay him well?

Your made-up text messages don't prove the truth of your made-up story.

Care to explain why you think this is such an outrageous story? It’s happening all the time in the USA.

Yes, there are definitely people all over the USA texting their lawn guy that they’re “taking their grandkids to a matinee” and then coming into DCUM and bragging about “that’s just how they operate.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So effectively an indentured servant?

She said she and her neighbors pay him very well.

Such a cop out by the MAGA folks to label the guy an indentured servant. There's nothing in our relationship that makes him one. By their definition, anyone who works for anyone else is an indentured servant.

I'll spell it right out: the premise of the posters who are so worked up by what I'm doing is that I have some kind of moral obligation to favor the "American" worker simply because they had the happy accident of being born here. That's bullshit. I'll hire a good and honest man regardless of where they're from and regardless of their legal status, and I'll pay them well for doing good work. I'm a conscientious objector to our flawed and racially biased immigration system. End of story.

If you don’t feel a duty to your fellow Americans and/or orderly, legal labor markets, why should anybody feel any kind of duty to the common good?

If your support and compliance with (or at least, not undermining) the legal systems put in place is subject to individualized veto, why wouldn’t all of us ignore the laws we object to? Perhaps someone in your neighborhood is a conscientious objector to property rights laws and they’ll just come to your house and take all your stuff?ñ. How would you feel about that?