A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STUDY IN NEW MEXICO SHOWS ABOUT ONE IN FOUR MEXICAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN THE STATE ARE HAVING THEIR WAGES STOLEN…EITHER THROUGH NON-PAYMENT OR UNDER-PAYMENT. THE STUDY WAS LED BY UNM POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR ANDREW SCHRANK. HE SAYS UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AT RISK OF THIS CRIME … BUT 22 PERCENT OF DOCUMENTS IMMIGRANTS HAVE ALSO BEEN VICTIMIZED.
SCHRANK SAYS THE CRIME IS UNDER-REPORTED…SO THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY WORSE THAN HIS STUDY INDICATES. HE SAYS NEW MEXICO HAS TOUGH LAWS AGAINST WAGE THEFT…BUT THOSE LAWS TEND NOT TO BE AGGRESSIVELY ENFORCED.
