Day laborers in Chicago have filed a lawsuit alleging severe abuse and discrimination at the hands of off-duty police officers working as security for a major retail chain. On August 6, 2024, Alfonzo Gabriel Arias, Betuel Castro Camacho, Willian Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez, Luis Adrian Gomez, Juan Carlos Montano, and Latino Union, Inc. filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the City of Chicago and Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.
The plaintiffs are recent immigrants from Venezuela and Colombia who sought temporary employment near Home Depot Store #1986 in Chicago. They allege that between October 2023 and May 2024, they were subjected to egregious civil rights violations while trying to secure work. According to the complaint, off-duty Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers hired by Home Depot to bolster security physically assaulted them based on their race and national origin. The plaintiffs describe being thrown to the ground, aggressively handcuffed, beaten, and verbally abused with xenophobic slurs such as "Pinche Venezolano" (Fucking Venezuelan). In some instances, they were detained in secluded rooms within the store where further physical abuse occurred.
One plaintiff, Alfonzo Gabriel Arias, recounts an incident on December 27, 2023. After being asked to leave the parking lot by an officer in a vest marked "POLICE," he moved to a public sidewalk but was then approached by three more officers. He was grabbed by his shirt, thrown to the ground, handcuffed while being hit in the stomach, and dragged into Home Depot Store #1986 where he was beaten further inside a private room. Another plaintiff, Betuel Castro Camacho from Colombia, experienced similar treatment on May 22, 2024; he was handcuffed despite informing officers of his dislocated shoulder and subsequently beaten inside a room at Home Depot.
The plaintiffs accuse both the City of Chicago and Home Depot of conspiring to criminalize day laborers' attempts to find work through discriminatory practices. They argue that this is part of a broader pattern of unchecked police abuses facilitated by inadequate supervision from both entities. The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under various sections of U.S.C., including §§ 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1986 along with Illinois state law claims for assault and battery among others.
Plaintiffs seek not only monetary damages but also measures ensuring their right to seek work without fear of arrest or retaliation. Latino Union aims to continue its mission of organizing day laborers without obstruction.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys from various law firms specializing in civil rights litigation. The case is presided over by Judge [Judge's Name] under Case ID: 1:24-cv-06859.