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13 Former H-2A Workers Settle Human Trafficking and Wage Claims Against NC Employers with Assistance from Legal Aid of North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – Thirteen former H-2A temporary agricultural workers have settled their federal human trafficking and wage claims with the assistance of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s (LANC) Farmworker Unit. The case, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina (Martinez-Morales, et al. v. Lopez, Jr, et al., Case No. 5:22-cv-00187-BO), was brought against North Carolina employers Valentino Lopez, Jr. and Gilberto “Beto” Lopez, along with two farms they furnished workers to in 2020. In their complaint, the plaintiffs alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, the North Carolina Wage & Hour Act, North Carolina anti-human trafficking laws, and the common law of contract.

The farmworker plaintiffs alleged that, in 2020, the Lopez brothers made fraudulent promises regarding wages and working conditions. These promises persuaded the plaintiffs to pay exorbitant fees and incur additional debt for visas and inbound travel-related expenses to travel from their hometowns in Mexico to North Carolina to work for the defendants.

Upon arrival in North Carolina, the plaintiffs alleged that Valentino Lopez, Jr. exploited their financial vulnerability by seizing their passports and withholding their Social Security cards. They claimed he used threats of deportation to coerce them into working involuntarily for wages significantly below the mandated H-2A visa wage rate, some weeks below the federal minimum wage, and occasionally without any compensation at all. Additionally, one plaintiff alleged sex trafficking by Valentino Lopez, Jr.

With support from LANC, the plaintiffs reached settlement agreements with the Lopez brothers and two North Carolina berry farms, Hannah Forrest Blueberries, LLC, and Ronnie Carter Farms, Inc., for a total of $150,000. The settlements include minimum wage-related damages for six additional opt-in plaintiffs in addition to the 13 named plaintiffs. The settlements also included commitments from the farms to:

• Develop and disseminate a sexual harassment/sexual assault policy;
• Install workers’ rights posters and posters from the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission at all labor camp sites;
• Increase supervision of contractors’ reimbursement payments for H-2A workers’ fees and travel expenses; and
• Prohibit the confiscation of workers’ passports.

Furthermore, the Lopez brothers agreed never to participate in the H-2A program again. Prior to the date of these settlements, U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced that they assessed $62,531 in civil penalties against Valentino Lopez, Jr. and recovered $58,039 in owed wages for 72 workers following widespread violations of the federal H-2A program, as revealed by the plaintiffs’ interviews with the Department.

Aaron Jacobson, Supervising Attorney for LANC’s Farmworker Unit, commented, “Our office has seen a marked increase in cases involving human trafficking in agriculture, particularly in eastern North Carolina, in recent years. It is our hope that, as a result of the determination and commitment of these clients, others in similar schemes will find courage and inspiration.”

Jose Cruz Martinez-Morales, the lead plaintiff, shared his experience, saying, “Nothing that was promised was ever fulfilled. I was totally deceived. They had made promises, and they failed to deliver on them. In my personal experience, I was afraid…they had threatened us with deportation. So, all of us, we did have fears, but we went forward with our case anyway, and now we have come this far…So don’t be afraid. The farmworkers’ rights have to be respected under the law.”

Marisol Florencio-Gutierrez, another plaintiff, added, “With this case, my coworkers and I put ourselves in danger…and, with the news of these settlements, other workers can also see that they can defend themselves and that they do not just have to do what their employer tells them to. They have rights and they can defend themselves.”

LANC remains committed to fighting for the rights of farmworkers and ensuring that justice is served.

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13 Ex-empleados H-2A Resuelven Reclamos de Trata de Personas y Reclamaciones de Salario Contra Empleadores de Carolina del Norte con la Asistencia de Ayuda Legal de Carolina del Norte

RALEIGH, N.C. – Trece ex-empleados trabajadores agrícolas temporales H-2A han resuelto sus reclamos federales de trata de personas y reclamaciones de salario con la asistencia de Ayuda Legal de Carolina del Norte (LANC) División para Trabajadores Agrícolas. El caso, presentado en el Tribunal del Distrito Oriental de Carolina del Norte (Martinez-Morales, et al. v. Lopez, Jr, et al., Caso No. 5:22-cv-00187-BO), fue brindado contra los empleadores de Carolina del Norte Valentino Lopez, Jr. y Gilberto “Beto” Lopez, junto con otras dos granjas a las que proporcionaron trabajadores en el 2020. En su demanda, los demandantes alegaron violaciones de la Ley Federal de Normas Laborales Justas, Ley de Reautorización de la Protección de Víctimas de la Trata de Personas, Ley de Salarios y Horas de Carolina del Norte, leyes contra la trata de personas de Carolina del Norte, y el derecho común de contrato.

Los trabajadores agrícolas demandantes alegaron que, en 2020, los hermanos Lopez hicieron promesas fraudulentas sobre salarios y condiciones de trabajo. Estas promesas convencieron a los demandantes a pagar comisiones exorbitantes e incurrir en deudas adicionales para cubrir las visas y los costos relacionados con el viaje desde sus ciudades en México hasta Carolina del Norte para trabajar para los demandados.

Al llegar a Carolina del Norte, los demandantes alegaron que Valentino Lopez, Jr. explotaron su vulnerabilidad económica confiscando sus pasaportes y reteniendo sus tarjetas de Seguro Social. Afirman que él usó amenazas de deportación para forzarlos a trabajar involuntariamente por salarios significadamente por debajo del salario estipulado para visa H-2A, algunas semanas por debajo del salario mínimo federal, y en ocasiones sin ninguna compensación. Adicionalmente, un demandante alega ser objeto de trata sexual por Valentino Lopez, Jr.

Con apoyo de LANC, los demandantes llegaron a un acuerdo de resolución con los hermanos López y dos granjas de bayas de Carolina del Norte, Hannah Forrest Blueberries, LLC. y Ronnie Carter Farms, Inc., para un total de $150,000. Los acuerdos incluyen indemnizaciones por daños y perjuicios relacionados con el salario mínimo para otros seis demandantes que optaron agregarse al acuerdo en adición a los 13 demandantes nombrados. Los acuerdos también incluyen compromisos por parte de las granjas de:

• Desarrollar y difundir una política de protección contra el acoso sexual/agresión sexual;
• Instalar carteles sobre los derechos de los trabajadores y carteles de la Comisión de Trata de Personas de Carolina del Norte en todos los campos laborales;
• Aumentar la supervisión de los pagos de reembolso de los contratistas a los trabajadores H-2A para gastos y costos de viaje, y
• Prohibir la confiscación de los pasaportes de los trabajadores.

Además, los hermanos López acordaron no volver a participar en el programa H-2A otra vez. Antes de la fecha de estos acuerdos, el Departamento del Trabajo de los Estados Unidos, División de Salarios y Horas anunció que evaluaron $62,531 en sanciones civiles contra Valentino Lopez, Jr. y recuperaron $58,039 en salarios adeudados a 72 trabajadores debido a múltiples violaciones del programa federal H-2A, como fue revelado por las entrevistas de los demandantes con el Departamento.

Aaron Jacobson, abogado supervisor de la División para Trabajadores Agrícolas de LANC, comentó, “Nuestra oficina ha visto un marcado aumento en los últimos años en los casos relacionados con la trata de personas en la agricultura, en particular en el este de Carolina del Norte. Es nuestra esperanza que, como resultado de la determinación y el compromiso de estos clientes, otros en esquemas similares encuentren valentía e inspiración.”

Jose Cruz Martínez Morales, el demandante principal, compartió su experiencia diciendo “Nada de lo prometido se cumplió. Fui completamente engañando. Ellos me hicieron promesas y fallaron en cumplirlas. En mi experiencia personal yo tenía miedo … ellos nos habían amenazado con deportación. Así que todos nosotros teníamos miedos, pero seguimos adelante con nuestro caso de todos modos y ahora hemos llegado hasta aquí … así que no tengan miedo. Los derechos de los trabajadores agrícolas tienen que ser respetados bajo la ley.

Marisol Florencio Gutiérrez, otra demandante, agregó “con este caso mis compañeros de trabajo y yo nos pusimos en peligro … y, con el anuncio de estos acuerdos, otros trabajadores también pueden ver que se pueden defender y que no tienen que hacer lo que su empleador les dice. Ellos tienen derechos y se pueden defender.”

LANC mantiene su compromiso de pelear por los derechos de trabajadores agrícolas y garantizar que se haga justicia.

RALEIGH, NC, July 10, 2024 — Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) announces the launch of LANC-LIA (Legal Information Assistant), pronounced “Leah,” an AI-powered virtual assistant on its website, legalaidnc.org. Developed in LANC’s Innovation Lab in collaboration with LawDroid, LANC-LIA is designed to provide efficient and high-quality legal information to underserved communities.

Technology is an essential component to the delivery of legal services, with AI poised to revolutionize operations. LANC’s new virtual assistant enhances online services by providing reliable information, multilingual answers to general civil legal questions, and referrals to additional resources.

“The integration of AI into our services marks a transformative step in our ongoing efforts to close the justice gap ” said Scheree Gilchrist, Chief Innovation Officer at LANC.

The “justice gap” refers to the disparity between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs. With 92% of substantial civil legal needs unmet, LANC’s innovative use of AI aims to address this gap cost-efficiently and effectively.

LANC-LIA automates routine communications and provides self-service options for simple legal matters, streamlining the overall client experience.

“LANC-LIA will make our website much more user-friendly and our self-help resources more accessible,” said Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer at LANC.

Focusing on high-demand areas such as domestic violence, child custody, landlord-tenant issues, and consumer law, LANC-LIA employs advanced natural language processing algorithms to understand and respond to user queries accurately. Powered by state-of-the-art models like GPT-4 and BERT, and supported by LawDroid’s robust technical infrastructure, LANC-LIA ensures precise and relevant responses.

Prior to its launch, LANC-LIA underwent comprehensive user testing with clients, lawyers, and law students from Vanderbilt Law School’s AI Lab (VAILL) to ensure both accuracy and accessibility.

LANC-LIA represents a significant step towards enhancing access to justice. By offering a user-friendly interface for legal information, it empowers individuals to navigate their legal issues with greater ease and confidence. As LANC continues to innovate and refine its AI capabilities, the impact on the communities it serves is expected to grow, fostering greater empowerment and access to legal resources for all.

You can access LANC-LIA here or by visiting our website legalaidnc.org.

Please note, LANC-LIA does not provide legal advice. Individuals should consult with an attorney for any specific legal questions.

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is proud to announce that Rona Karacaova, Managing Attorney of its Immigrant Pathways for Victims (IMMPAV) project, has been honored with the North Carolina Bar Association’s Greenblatt Outstanding Legal Services Attorney Award. This award recognizes a full-time attorney employed by a legal services program in North Carolina who has made exemplary contributions to providing legal assistance to meet the needs of the state’s impoverished population.

The award is named in honor of Deborah Greenblatt, an advocate who served as the executive director of Carolina Legal Assistance for over two decades, championing the rights of individuals and children with disabilities.

For over 20 years, Karacaova has led IMMPAV, a project that fiercely advocates for the rights of abused and trafficked immigrant victims. She was the first legal services attorney in North Carolina to represent victims under the U nonimmigrant status (U visa), a remedy for victims of crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse. For many years, she and her staff were the sole free legal services providers representing victims eligible for U Visa status. Today, she leads an 11-person team managing over 1,400 open cases, referred by law enforcement agencies including the FBI, immigration judges, the Department of Social Services, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Before her tenure at LANC, Karacaova worked with Connecticut Legal Services and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. She earned her B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University in 1993 and her J.D. from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law in 1998. Her early career included international experience with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ankara, Turkey, where she interviewed Iranian and Iraqi asylum seekers, and served as the Assistant Director of a Bosnian refugee camp on the Bulgarian border of Turkey.

“Rona is leading a team that does life-changing work. She empowers some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” said Ashley Campbell, CEO of LANC. “We are so proud to call Rona our colleague. She inspires us all.”

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Raleigh, NC – Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) proudly announces that its domestic violence documentary, Beyond Fear, has been honored with a Silver Telly for Documentary: Short Form (Under 40 Minutes) – Non-Broadcast at the 45th Annual Telly Awards. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in video and television across all screens, judged by industry leaders from top video platforms, television networks, streaming services, and production companies.

This year’s Telly Awards saw fierce competition, with notable winners including Adobe, Calvin Klein, ESPN, LinkedIn, Mother Jones, MTC Entertainment Studios, NASA, the LA Clippers (NBA), PlayStation Studios, Sawhorse Productions, TelevisaUnivision, and more. LANC’s Beyond Fear was recognized among this illustrious group, earning accolades for its powerful storytelling and impactful message.

Beyond Fear, produced by LANC’s Chief Communications Officer, Helen Hobson, in collaboration with Front Runner Productions, delves into the harrowing experiences of three domestic violence survivors who found support and help through LANC. Through their heartfelt and deeply personal narratives, the documentary brings to light the often hidden and traumatic realities of domestic violence, celebrating the resilience and courage of these survivors as they strive to break free from abuse.

“The caliber of the work this season truly has reflected the theme of going beyond the frame. Our industry is experimenting with new technologies like never before, crafting truly compelling stories to draw attention to some of the world’s most pressing issues,” shares Telly Awards Managing Director Amanda Needham. “The Telly Awards is uniquely positioned to meet the industry where it’s actually making work, be that on television or TikTok.”

Helen Hobson expressed her gratitude for the recognition, stating, “We worked tirelessly to honor the voices of our clients through Beyond Fear. This award is a testament to their bravery and the critical importance of telling their stories.”

This year marked a record-breaking milestone for the Telly Awards, with nearly 13,000 entries from across the globe. Winners were selected by the Telly Awards Judging Council, which includes prominent figures such as Nathalie Van Sasse Van Ysselt, VP of Design and Creative Services at MSG Sphere Studios; Barry Christie, Global Creative Lead at Meta Creative Shop; Farihah Zaman, Director and member of Brown Girl Doc Mafia; Aiden Darné, VP, Global Studio Lead at Shutterstock; and Malinda Wink, Executive Director at Minderoo Pictures.

For the full list of the 45th Annual Telly Awards winners, please visit www.tellyawards.com/winners.

To watch Beyond Fear, please visit: https://youtu.be/FyNTA8yfsDQ?si=DReCl41bMMoZf6Qk

About The Telly Awards

The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. Entrants are judged by The Telly Awards Judging Council—an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies, and major television networks, reflective of the multiscreen industry The Telly Awards celebrates. Partners of The Telly Awards include the Gotham Institute, NAB, Stash, NYWIFT, LAPPG, Production Hub, Green the Bid, Video Consortium, and Series Fest. New Partners include FWD- Doc, AI Film Festival, Reel Abilities Film Festival, and Film Fatales.

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About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

Media Contact:

Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer, HelenH2@legalaidnc.org, 704-430-7616

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) unveiled its innovative LANCMobile unit at a launch event held yesterday, May 1st, at the Haywood County Public Library: Canton Branch. The event marked a significant step forward in the organization’s mission to provide vital legal services to underserved communities, particularly in disaster-stricken and rural areas. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured special remarks from LANC staff and the Mayor of Canton, NC, Zeb Smathers.

LANCMobile addresses a critical gap in the American justice system, where low-income individuals facing civil legal matters often lack adequate representation. According to recent studies, 92% of civil legal problems reported by low-income Americans receive inadequate or no legal help. In North Carolina, approximately two million people, 18% of the population, are eligible for LANC services but face geographical barriers preventing access.

Born out of the pressing need exacerbated by natural disasters like Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, LANCMobile was established with a grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). The initiative aims to serve disaster-affected areas while also addressing broader issues of legal deserts and rural community neglect.

“Our primary purpose is to get people the assistance they need,” said Alicia Edwards, Project Director of LANC’s Disaster Relief Project. “We have two fully serviced offices inside where we can meet clients. We can come out to their community, screen them, deal with their legal issues, and provide fully serviced assistance right from the bus.”

Scheree Gilchrist, Chief Innovation Officer at LANC, emphasized LANCMobile’s broader mission beyond disaster relief. “We are going to take the bus and identify the areas that have the most need and work with our community partners to deliver those services,” Gilchrist stated.

The event garnered support from Mayor Zeb Smathers, who highlighted the significance of LANCMobile in bringing hope to communities in need. “This is where you affect people in the trenches… This is where you make a difference,” said Mayor Smathers. “Where y’all go and this bus goes, hope is not too far behind.”

LANCMobile’s impact extends beyond immediate legal aid provision. Through data-driven strategies and community partnerships, LANC aims to identify rural communities most in need and devise tailored solutions to overcome communication, infrastructure, and service accessibility challenges.

“This is a crucial step in our commitment to innovation and making a lasting impact in the communities we serve,” noted Gilchrist. “LANCMobile not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters a culture of community engagement, empowering rural communities to assert their rights and access legal resources.”

LANCMobile’s schedule can be found at legalaidnc.org/lancmobile.

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Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.  

Media Contact 

Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer, 704-430-7616, HelenH2@legalaidnc.org 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Legal Aid of North Carolina announces a Conciliation and Voluntary Compliance Agreement, resolving a housing discrimination complaint filed against the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR). The complaint was filed on behalf of an individual whose application to the ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program was rejected due to proof of ownership requirements applied to owners of heirs’ properties. The ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program administers Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funds to assist survivors of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence in rebuilding their homes. 

The complaint, filed in February 2023 with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), alleged that NCORR’s proof of ownership requirements, as applied to owners of heirs’ properties, disproportionately impacted and denied equal housing opportunities to Black/African American homeowners seeking disaster recovery assistance funds, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. “Heirs’ property” is a term used to describe family-owned property that is passed between generations of family members without a valid will or formal estate. While heirs’ property can present challenges, each heir shares legal ownership of the entire property with the other heirs and can maintain it through repairs, improvements, and payment of property taxes. Decades of research shows that heirs’ property issues most often impact Black families, and that heirs’ properties, particularly in the South, are disproportionately owned by Black/African American landowners. 

As a result of the Conciliation and Voluntary Compliance Agreement, Respondent NCORR has agreed to: 

• Adopt a new proof of ownership policy, now in Version 9.0 of the CDBG-DR Homeowner Recovery Program Manual and corresponding forms, that complies with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act. Under the revised policy, owners of heirs’ property will now only need to agree that they have or will notify, in whatever way they see fit, any party that may have an ownership interest in the property about their participation in the ReBuild program, if such parties are known to the applicant; 
• Provide written notice of the new policy to the approximately 74 applicants previously rejected from, or otherwise deemed ineligible for, the ReBuild Homeowner Recovery Program due to previous proof of ownership requirements as applied to owners of heirs’ property; 
• Allow these approximately 74 applicants previously rejected from the program due to the prior proof of ownership requirements applied to owners of heirs’ property to submit appeals for reentry into the Program; and 
• Train NCORR staff on the requirements of the new policy. 

With these changes, NCORR affirms its commitment to compliance with federal fair housing laws, which prohibit discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.  

“Legal Aid of North Carolina is proud to announce this resolution, which reduces unnecessary barriers for owners in heirs’ properties to access crucial disaster relief funding, while also preserving the existing homeownership structure and keeping these properties in the family. We hope that these revised policies can serve as a model for other disaster relief programs in North Carolina and CDBG-DR funded programs across the country,” said A.D. Skaff, Supervising Attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project. 

“We commend NCORR for prioritizing fair housing, implementing these new policies, and working with us to resolve this matter, so all homeowners in North Carolina recovering from devastating natural disasters have equal housing opportunities,” said Lauren Brasil, Co-Director and Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project. 

A copy of the Conciliation Agreement is available here.  

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can contact Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project by calling 1-855-797-3247. 

Legal Aid of North Carolina’s involvement in this litigation was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program. 

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Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.  

Media Contact 

Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer, 704-430-7616, HelenH2@legalaidnc.org