Judicial Watch Helps Taxpayers File Lawsuit Against City of Laguna Beach over Day Laborer Site Press Conference Held At 3 p.m. Today At the Central Ju

6 October 2006

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court against the City of Laguna Beach for spending taxpayer funds to operate the Laguna Day Worker Center, a day laborer site that helps illegal aliens find jobs and provides other public benefits, including English language instruction. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Laguna Beach taxpayers Eileen Garcia and George Riviere, who have been very active challenging the day laborer site.

Judicial Watch held a 3 p.m. press conference today to discuss the lawsuit. It was held at Civic Center Plaza, Plaza of the Flags, W. Santa Ana Blvd. and N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA. Judicial Watch Civil Litigation Director Paul Orfanedes was present to discuss the lawsuit.

According to public records, the City of Laguna Beach provided a $21,000 grant for Fiscal year 2005-06, and a $22,000 financed grant for Fiscal Year 2006-07 to the South County Cross Cultural Council, a non-profit organization charged with operating the facility. The City of Laguna Beach also uses taxpayer funds to provide portable restroom facilities, trash removal and to pay for leasing the property from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

"By authorizing, ratifying and approving operation of the Center, at which employment referral services and other public benefits are being provided to day laborers without verifying the day laborers' eligibility for employment in the United States, the City of Laguna Beach is violating federal law," Judicial Watch alleges in its complaint.

The City of Laguna Beach has expended taxpayer funds to operate the Laguna Day Worker Center since 1999. Day laborers using the center are charged a $1 referral fee each day he or she receives employment at the facility, while employers using the center pay a fee of $5. The center does not verify whether or not day laborers are eligible to work in the United States and does not require that day laborers provide any formal identification. According to several studies, the large majority of day laborers are in the United States illegally and therefore are not eligible to work in the United States.

Federal law prohibits the hiring of an undocumented worker or referring an alien for employment for a fee, knowing the alien is not authorized for such employment. Federal law also requires verification of eligibility to work in the United States.

"Laguna Beach officials are expending taxpayer dollars to subsidize illegal activity and it must stop," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Our taxpayer clients have faith that the courts will not allow the City of Laguna Beach to so flagrantly violate the laws of the United States."

A copy of the lawsuit is available on Judicial Watch's Internet site, http://www.judicialwatch.org.

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