CARROLLTON, Texas – Maria Martinez' attempt to land a cafeteria job at a suburban Dallas hospital got her arrested, jailed and deported.
Martinez used a counterfeit social security 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 contends the hospital was simply following policy and has a responsibility to report criminal activity, including possible identity theft.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox