In Tennessee, a couple is suing the employer of the man who killed their daughter. Hopefully they will be successful, a result that should inspire more lawsuits against the companies whose money magnet has drawn dangerous illegal aliens here.
McMINNVILLE, Tenn. — Steve and Bobbie Sweet said no amount of money will bring back their daughter, Samantha Roach, or her friend, Billy Lynn Bell, but they're hoping a $260 million lawsuit will send a message to people who hire illegal immigrants.
"The big importance of it is to let the employers know that they cannot circumvent the law and hire illegals and have them working in the states," said Steve.
Roach and Bell were killed on a motorcycle that was struck by a pickup truck allegedly driven by Herlin Alvarez.
The wreck happened in September on Highway 70 in Warren County. The Sweets said their pain was intensified by the fact that Alvarez left the scene of the accident.
Now, five months later, family members said it’s wrong the McMinnville company that hired Alvarez knew he was in this country illegally.
According to the lawsuit, Alvarez was doing business for Porter Roofing at the time of the crash. It goes on to say Alvarez was in the country illegally and did not have a valid Tennessee drivers license.
The lawsuit also accuses Porter Roofing of setting up a phony company designed to get around Tennessee laws that prohibit the hiring of illegal immigrants.
The Sweets said they believe Roach and Bell would be alive today had the company not made it easy for Alvarez to live in Tennessee.
"I would still have my daughter and Lynn’s two girls still have their father if (Alvarez) hadn’t been here in the states illegally," said Bobbie.
[Company Sued For Hiring Illegal Immigrant, WSMV Nashville, Feb 25, 2009]
It’s good to see families who understand the source of their loss and are taking action as a result.
Margaret Rains and Haley Tepe were sitting down to enjoy ice cream at a Baskin-Robbins in Aurora, Colo., when a sport utility vehicle driven by an illegal immigrant sent two cars plowing into the shop, leaving three dead and the two women injured.
Now the women are taking action against the city of Denver, arguing that its sanctuary-city policy contributed to the Sept. 4 crash. The driver, 23-year-old Francis Hernandez, had been arrested numerous times by Denver police, but was never reported to federal immigration authorities.
"Despite these numerous arrests and the readily ascertainable illegal-immigrant status of Mr. Hernandez, at no time were proper procedures relating to the reporting, detention and handling of illegal immigrants followed by the law-enforcement agencies of the city of Denver," said the claim, filed on behalf of Ms. Rains.
One of those killed in the Aurora crash was three-year-old Marten Kudlis (pictured) as he sat in the ice cream shop.
