By Historical Society,Kristin Hunt

Copyright phillyvoice

A Chester County man who sponsored young immigrants’ entry into the United States allegedly forced them to work long days with little to no pay and used their immigration status to threaten them, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Ramiro Caal Jolomna allegedly compelled two teen girls to work “grueling” days on a mushroom farm to pay off their “debts” to him for facilitating their entry into the country. Prosecutors allege Jolomna kept the girls out of school and signed them up for 16-hour shifts, seven days a week. He also allegedly threatened to have them deported or otherwise punished if they ran away.

Bucks County farm owner accused of animal cruelty returned to the U.S.

The youngest of the girls, a 14-year-old from Mexico, allegedly signed her paycheck over to Jolomna and his wife, who also compelled her to clean their house and perform other chores. A 17-year-old from Guatemala faced “similar conditions,” prosecutors said, and pocketed little money to send home to her sick father. Jolomna took “the majority of her wages,” investigators said.

He will now face felony counts of trafficking and involuntary servitude. His bail is set at $1 million.

The charges resulted from an investigation by Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Attorney General’s human trafficking unit. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday called the details of the case “disturbing” and decried the defendant for “preying on vulnerable girls who wanted to make an honest living and help their families back home.”

“Labor trafficking, while not as often in the headlines, is cruel and dehumanizing behavior that forces victims into a routine of helplessness and silence,” he added.

Immigration sponsors typically assume financial responsibility for immigrants until they become citizens, accrue sufficient work hours or leave the country. Sponsors agree to reimburse the U.S. government if the immigrant needs to utilize social programs.

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