Rolando and Maria Corpuz are a married couple based in San Diego, California. They own and operate two residential care homes for elderly people in the North County area.

A group of immigrant workers lived and worked in these homes. They were responsible for looking after vulnerable elderly residents around the clock. They had to feed, bathe, and administer medication to people who were completely dependent on others for their basic needs.

However, the working conditions were absolutely appalling. Rolando and Maria pushed the workers extremely hard and expected them to work non-stop without adequate rest or breaks. On top of that, they paid the workers less than $7 an hour and held back a large portion of their wages. This kind of exploitation should never be tolerated in any workplace.

Rolando and Maria deliberately took advantage of the workers’ situation. They warned them: “Keep working, or we will turn you in to immigration.” The workers were utterly terrified and felt completely trapped. They put up with the dreadful conditions for months because they couldn’t see a way out and were too frightened to speak out.

The authorities eventually caught on to what was going on and decided to step in. They arrested Rolando and Maria and handed the case over to the courts. Standing in court, Rolando and Maria insisted they hadn’t done anything wrong. However, the judge has ordered them to hand over their passports and they must remain in California while the case goes on. They may also be required to pay back the wages they withheld from the workers.