Friday, October 28, 2011

ICE Closed Deportation Case Against Damian-Ortega, An Injured Worker Who Was Turned In By West Bend Mutual Insurance

Photo by VIMEO: Omar Damian-Ortega while detained

Omar Damian-Ortega

Photo: VDLF

West Bend Mutual Insurance turned undocumented worker to police and ICE so, they wouldn't pay compensation insurance.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 28, 2011

Milwaukee - On Thursday, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials decided to close the deportation case of Omar Damian-Ortega, an injured worker. Damian-Ortega will no longer be facing deportation proceedings, Christine Newmann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera announced during their 10th Anniversary Gala. Damian-Ortega is still facing civil charges of identity theft after West Bend Insurance agents turned him over to police and ICE in an attempt to have him deported without the insurance company paying compensation insurance.
Damian-Ortega said, that he plans to stay in Wisconsin and seek workers compensation against West Bend Insurance, through legal action.
Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) in a prior news release stated that in 2009, Damian-Ortega injured his back at work. He then filed a worker’s compensation claim, which Wisconsin State Law says are due to all injured workers, regardless of worker’s immigration status. Upon doing so, West Bend Mutual Insurance notified the Grafton Police Department of a potential case of identity theft. Damian-Ortega who is married and has 3 children, was then arrested by the Grafton Police Department and subsequently placed into immigration deportation proceedings after spending five months in jail.
VDLF learned that it was West Bend Mutual Insurance’s policy to report undocumented workers to the police so, that they can avoid paying workers the thousands of dollars in claims that they are due by law.

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