Trump challenged by rival for 'mistreating' Polish immigrants
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
26.02.2016 11:05
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was challenged during a televised debate on Thursday over 'mistreatment' of Polish immigrants during the 1980s.
US Republican presidential candidates, Marco Rubio (L) and Donald Trump (R) argue during the CNN Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Houston's Moores School of Music Opera House in Houston, Texas, USA, 25 February 2016. EPA/GARY CORONADO/
Republican rival Marco Rubio seized on the largely forgotten affair during the debate in Houston, Texas.
“Fined 1 million dollars for hiring Polish workers on one of his projects," Rubio declared.
“He did it - that happened,” Rubio continued, encouraging voters to type “Trump Polish workers” in search engine Google.
Trump made use of about 200 undocumented immigrants in 1980 to demolish a building on New York's Fifth Avenue. The demolition paved the way for the Trump Tower skyscraper.
The Poles later sued Trump, and he ultimately paid an undisclosed sum.
“We worked in horrid, terrible conditions,” one of the Poles told the New York Times many years later.
“We were frightened illegal immigrants and did not know enough about our rights.”
Trump has styled himself as a crusader against immigrants during his campaign, once referring to Mexicans as “rapists”, and suggesting that Muslims should not be allowed into the US. (nh)