Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 1:13 pm
Suit: Radio Prize Denied Over Residency
By Associated Press
6 hours ago
CHICAGO - A woman has sued a Spanish-language radio station in Chicago, claiming it refused to give her the Corvette she won in a 2005 contest because she is undocumented.
Maribel Nava Alvarez, 22, said she was never told she needed to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident to win the car in a raffle sponsored by WLEY-FM.
Alvarez also claims in the lawsuit that an attorney for the station's parent company, Spanish Broadcasting System, threatened to turn her in to U.S. immigration officials if she tried to pursue the issue in court.
Alvarez, who said she has left the Chicago area out of fear that she would be deported, is suing for breach of contract and emotional distress.
In a news release, the radio station said the law requires it to get a valid Social Security number or tax identification number from anyone who wins prizes worth more than $500.
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 7:25 pm
My understanding is that that is correct. You would need a SSN, for the same reason your employer needs it: taxes. Most contests have an included disclaimer "open to legal US residents 18 and over", although I don't know about this one. Personally, I don't think an illegal alien should be able to sue anyone in this country. I don't see how your rights can be violated if your very persence here is a crime. In other words, "what rights?".
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 7:51 pm
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:10 pm
2. WHO MAY PARTICIPATE:
Contestants must be legal U.S. residents at least 18 years of age to participate.
Friday, January 26, 2007 - 12:38 am
What if you drink too much water during the contest, but are not legal U.S. resident?
What if one of the contest judges is not legal US resident? [note: Last night an American Idol contestant asked Simon to prove he was legally in U.S.]
Friday, January 26, 2007 - 9:10 am
Couple of weks ago, Toys R Us had a contest for the first born in New York, or something like that, with the rules requiring the mother to be a legal residente. A undocumented Chinese woman had the first baby, and they were going to withold the prize, but after complaints, they gave 2 first prizes, one to her, and another to the first born to a legal resident.
