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CHICAGO (CBS) — Tensions between migrant workers seeking employment and security personnel at several Home Depot stores in Chicago have escalated, culminating in a recent lawsuit.
This week, five newly-arrived migrants—Alfonzo Gabriel Arias, Betuel Castro Camacho, Willian Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez, Luis Adrian Gomez, and Juan Carlos Montano—filed a lawsuit against Home Depot employees and security guards contracted by the company. According to the complaint, two of these security guards are off-duty Chicago Police officers.
Kevin Herrera, legal director at Raise the Floor Alliance, stated, “The allegations include physical assault—such as punching, kicking, choking—along with false arrest through handcuffing and aggressive detention.”
The incidents reportedly took place between October 2023 and May 2024 at the Home Depot located at 45th Street and Western Avenue in Brighton Park, where the men were seeking day labor work.
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Herrera added that the men were detained in a private room within Home Depot, where the alleged beatings and verbal abuse, often based on perceived national origin, ethnicity, and race, continued.
Four of the plaintiffs are from Venezuela, and one is from Colombia. Herrera described the actions as discriminatory and xenophobic, noting that there appeared to be no other motivation behind the animosity.
The lawsuit further claims that the Home Depot on Western Avenue increased its security presence in response to a “significant” number of day laborers from Venezuela and other South American countries seeking work since the fall of 2023.
Home Depot responded to the allegations in a statement to CBS News Chicago, saying, “We take allegations of violence very seriously and are investigating this issue. We believe in respecting all people, and we don’t tolerate violence or discrimination.”
Miguel Alvelo Rivera of the Latino Union, also involved in the case, emphasized the need to protect all day laborers and their rights, regardless of their origin. “Day labor work has a long history in Chicago,” Rivera said. “As a city, we can and should do better.”
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has been aware of the allegations since March and is currently investigating the matter.
