Woman Pleads Guilty to Domestic Worker Abuse - FreedomUnited.org

Woman Pleads Guilty to Domestic Worker Abuse

  • Published on
    August 25, 2017
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Domestic Slavery, Forced Labor, Human Trafficking, Law & Policy
Hero Banner

A woman from Minnesota has been accused of abusing a nanny whom she brought from China to work for her. The employer will be deported after her year in jail.

“Lili Huang, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of forced labor and third-degree assault. She was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in jail. U.S. District Judge David S. Doty also ordered her to forfeit her home and pay nearly $100,000 in restitution. Huang lived in Woodbury, a suburb of St. Paul. Authorities said the 58-year-old nanny was found wandering in the street in July 2016, battered and malnourished. She weighed less than 90 pounds, had several broken bones and bruises and on her face. She told police she fled Huang’s home after being threatened with a kitchen knife.”

The Chinese domestic worker said her boss treated her well until they immigrated from China to Minnesota. At that time, she was forced to work 18 hours per day doing child care, cooking, and housekeeping and paid less than $2 per hour. Minnesota’s minimum wage is $7.75 per hour. When the housekeeper asked Huang to buy her a plane flight back to China in April 2016, she refused and hid the nanny’s passport.

“Huang is a Chinese citizen living in the U.S. with a valid visa. Ryan Pacyga, Huang’s attorney, said she was experiencing mental health problems at the time of the abuse.”

The attorney said, “It’s extremely rare to have a federal labor trafficking case that ends in a sentence this short, frankly — so we’re happy about that.”

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

E.U. market will be tainted with forced labor without strong legislation

A report published on December 6 commissioned by a group of E.U. lawmakers warns that “a substantial volume of apparel tainted by Uyghur forced labor is moving into the E.U. without restriction.” The report indicates how E.U. policy does not do enough to weed out forced labor from large supply chains and, therefore, does not protect consumers from buying products made with Uyghur forced labor, according to The Guardian. Implication by state-sponsored

| Wednesday December 6, 2023

Read more