According to an investigation conducted by The Guardian, a company owned by two of Donald Trump’s major donors has been regularly bringing in workers from Mexico to staff its warehouses in Wisconsin and other locations. These workers do not seem to have the necessary permission to work in the United States.
Uline, a prominent office and shipping supply company owned by billionaires Liz and Dick Uihlein, has been accused of bringing in its own workers from Mexico. These workers enter the US on tourist visas or B1 visas, which are typically used for temporary entry to receive professional training. However, it is alleged that instead of participating in a dedicated training program, these Mexican employees stay for extended periods ranging from one to six months and perform regular work in Uline’s US warehouses.
According to lawyers and immigrants’ advocates, it is widely believed that the alleged practice is likely illegal and may potentially exploit the workers who are enrolled in the program.
The company has been accused of employing individuals without proper work permits, while Dick Uihlein’s Super Pac, Restoration Pac, backed Trump’s presidential campaign by airing a television advertisement that criticized his opponent Kamala Harris for allowing an “invasion” of immigrants at the US-Mexico border. The Uihleins have become influential figures in rightwing politics, contributing millions of dollars to support candidates who advocate for the mass deportation of immigrants, including President-elect Trump and other rightwing politicians. In fact, they were the second-largest political donors in this year’s election, surpassing even Elon Musk, the world’s richest man.
Uline, a privately held company valued at approximately $8 billion, has implemented a program known as “shuttle support” within its organization for the past three years, according to sources.
The Guardian’s report is based on interviews with anonymous sources who have direct knowledge of shuttle support and spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. The report also references internal documents seen by The Guardian that discuss the worker program, including guidelines for family members and other guests who are allowed to visit the workers. During a lengthy investigation, Guardian reporters observed a group of twelve Uline workers from Mexico residing in a hotel near the company’s Pleasant Prairie headquarters. Uline covers the costs of their accommodation, meals, and rental cars. A hotel staff member confirmed that Uline was one of the hotel’s initial customers, booking “blocks” of suites for workers when the hotel opened approximately three years ago.
Uline and the Uihleins have chosen not to provide any comments, according to a spokesperson.
According to insiders who spoke with The Guardian, top-level executives at Uline, including Liz Uihlein, are aware of the alleged practice of utilizing shuttle support. The reasons behind the decision to employ Uline staff from Mexico in their US warehouses are not entirely clear. However, sources suggest that this could be related to the company’s rigorous and intricate hiring procedures, which involve follicle drug testing of employees.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the company faced difficulties in staffing their warehouses, particularly in Pennsylvania. As a result, they turned to Mexico to find a workforce.
According to sources, it is alleged that Mexican workers have an unspoken agreement to inform border officials that they are entering the US to receive training at Uline.
According to a document obtained by The Guardian, a Uline employee from Mexico used it to enter the US. The document stated that the employee would undergo training in warehouse safety, learn how to use vehicle-mounted unit devices, and understand how to identify warehouse locations. Legal experts argue that B1 visas should only be used for short-term visits, not for engaging in productive employment for more than six months.
Once the Mexican workers enter the US, they allegedly work regular shifts in Uline warehouses alongside their American counterparts.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Uline’s Mexican employees are actively engaged in work rather than undergoing training. The source also mentioned that Uline takes precautions to limit the duration of their employees’ stay in the US.
According to sources, the workers are paid their Mexican wages directly into their accounts in Mexico. While they do receive some additional compensation for their travel to the US and their stay there, it is important to note that they are paid significantly less than their American counterparts, as reported by The Guardian.
One individual with firsthand knowledge of the situation highlighted that employees are eager to take part due to the enticing bonuses offered. It’s important to note that these employees hold tourist visas and would risk having their visas revoked if their employment is discovered.
According to sources interviewed by The Guardian, Uline covers all expenses for their workers based in Mexico to travel from Mexico to warehouse locations in the US, including Wisconsin and Allentown, Pennsylvania. The sources claim that at any given time, there may be approximately 60 to 70 workers from Uline’s Mexican sites working in the US.
According to a document from Uline, it appears that certain employees in Mexico have been specifically recruited to participate in the shuttle support program. The document suggests that these workers are aware that their continued employment is contingent upon their involvement in the program for an unspecified period of time.
A senior executive at Uline’s Pleasant Prairie headquarters, where some warehouses are based, made requests for Mexican participants, according to another internal document.
3,000 miles from home
This Article Includes
A dozen Uline workers from Mexico have made a corporate hotel in Wisconsin their temporary home, located approximately 3,000 miles away from their actual homes. Accompanied by their wives in some cases, most of the participants in the shuttle support program are men.
The hotel offers a comfortable stay for guests, with a particular focus on catering to long-term visitors. The suites are clean and modern, equipped with kitchenettes for added convenience. Each morning, a delicious breakfast is served, featuring a variety of options such as waffles, granola, eggs, dry cereal, salsa, cheese, and sour cream. The hotel staff goes the extra mile during the holiday season, with the lobby adorned with festive decorations, including a 10ft Christmas tree. As an added touch, four knit stockings are hung over a fake fire, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Located in a remote area, the hotel remains unnamed by the Guardian in order to safeguard the workers’ safety. The landscape surrounding the hotel is mostly barren, with the exception of massive warehouses, including Uline and Amazon, lining the highway. Recently, Uline inaugurated their largest warehouse in Wisconsin, spanning 1.44 million square feet. This new facility further expands Uline’s already substantial footprint of 9.6 million square feet in the Kenosha region.
A Uline worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared his experience with The Guardian, revealing that he had initially traveled to the US for training purposes. However, he went on to explain how he ended up working in the US for an extended period, performing the same tasks he did in Mexico. He expressed doubt regarding the classification of these tasks as “training.” The worker confirmed that he had traveled to the US using his own tourist visa, as well as a document resembling a B1 visa, which is typically used for business-related travel rather than wage labor.
‘It really shows the cynicism’
According to immigration experts, including lawyers and advocates for immigrant rights, it is believed that the shuttle support program may be in violation of the law.
According to sources, it has been revealed that some workers are using B1 visas to enter the US. However, it is important to note that these visas were originally intended for workers to undergo training or attend seminars and conferences for a short period of time.
According to Marc Christopher, an immigration lawyer based in Wisconsin, the current system does not permit undocumented immigrants to receive wages for their work in the United States. Christopher specifically mentioned that if undocumented immigrants are engaged in warehouse work, particularly during second or third shifts, it is clear that they are not entitled to payment. He firmly stated that he firmly believes this practice is strictly prohibited.
According to Ira Kurzban, a renowned immigration lawyer, he firmly believes that the company’s involvement in a consistent pattern of conduct, which could potentially include the trafficking of laborers, is unquestionably illegal. He further emphasizes that individuals might be deceived into entering under false pretenses, only to realize later that they were brought in for an entirely different purpose.
According to Kurzban, Uline’s reported utilization of Mexican workers to staff warehouses in the US highlights the challenges that certain companies face in obtaining legal arrangements for their workforce.
“The entire premise of Trump is completely false. The notion that these individuals are stealing jobs from Americans is simply not true. In fact, we require millions of people to perform this type of work. We have chosen to turn a blind eye to the fact that most individuals who fill these positions are not authorized to work in the United States.”
According to Mo Goldman, an immigration lawyer from Arizona, it is a frequent occurrence for employers to reach out to him seeking advice on how to legally hire foreign workers. However, they often discover that the legal procedures involved can be incredibly stringent and challenging to navigate.
According to Goldman, the inability to find a workforce in the United States is pushing employers to explore alternative methods of recruiting workers.
Companies have historically faced significant civil penalties for engaging in such actions, he emphasized.
According to Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the director of the Wisconsin immigrant and labor rights group Voces de la Frontera, she is of the opinion that the program is evidently causing a decrease in wages for all employees within the company.
According to Neumann-Ortiz, Uline’s approach of employing Mexican workers not only results in lower wages for American workers, but it also fails to provide fair compensation for the Mexican workers who are doing the same job as their American counterparts. Additionally, these workers have to make sacrifices by being away from their families and communities.
The irony of the Uihleins profiting from the labor of Mexicans is not lost on her. Despite this, they continue to support a presidential candidate, now president-elect, who has made promises to deport immigrants, disparages them, and aims to eliminate birthright citizenship.
“It is evident how cynical this approach is – exploiting international labor while simultaneously investing in a propaganda campaign to create division among workers,” said the speaker.
American businesses are currently grappling with severe labor shortages, which directly contradicts the prevalent anti-immigrant sentiment. It is an undeniable fact that these businesses have heavily relied on the labor of undocumented workers for several decades.
According to her, they have a desire to maintain immigration, but only under extremely oppressive conditions.
The Uihleins have previously taken actions that seem to contradict their right-wing anti-immigration stance. In 2019, ProPublica reported that Uline, the company they own, had applied for special visas for foreign workers while President Trump, whom Dick and Liz Uihlein supported, was implementing stringent immigration policies. The company even filed a lawsuit against the federal government in Illinois after their petition to hire a full-time software engineer from India was rejected in 2018. In court testimony for an unrelated case, Dick Uihlein, the CEO, was questioned about his donations to a group supporting conservative politicians and whether they indicated support for stricter immigration policies. He affirmed, “I would say that’s correct, yep.”
Election deniers and Maga firebrands
The Uihleins emerged as a significant presence in American politics following the influential Citizens United ruling, which revolutionized campaign finance regulations and allowed corporations and special interest groups to freely contribute unlimited amounts of money to election campaigns, as indicated by public records and media sources.
Dick and Liz Uihlein, prominent donors on the right, have generously contributed millions of dollars to support various politicians and causes. Their support has extended to candidates who have questioned the outcome of elections, including former President Trump.
The Uihlein family’s company has experienced tremendous growth, generating $8 billion in revenue in 2024, a significant increase from $7 billion in 2023 and $6.1 billion in 2022. Alongside this growth, their political influence has also surged. Federal Election Commission filings reveal that the Uihleins dedicated a minimum of $130 million during the 2024 election cycle to back Trump and other conservative Republicans.
Dick Uihlein has primarily directed his donations towards culture-war candidates and Maga firebrands. In 2017, Uihlein emerged as the leading funder of Republican Roy Moore’s Senate campaign. He continued running ads in support of Moore despite the allegations of sexual assault against him, which Moore vehemently denied. Moving forward to 2022, Uihlein extended his support to Doug Mastriano, a far-right politician running for Pennsylvania governor. Mastriano has been known to criticize the separation of church and state and promote conspiracy theories.
WBEZ Chicago recently uncovered that Uihlein had provided financial support to Tea Party Patriots, a group involved in organizing the #StoptheSteal protest, which ultimately led to the violence and chaos during the Capitol riots on January 6.
In July, ProPublica and Documented conducted an investigation that revealed the Uihleins’ support for Ziklag, a covert Christian donor network. Ziklag was involved in activities such as voter purges, anti-trans activism, and bolstering pro-Trump electoral infrastructure.
Dick Uihlein has shown a strong focus on Wisconsin and Illinois politics, in addition to his involvement in national politics. Uline, his company, is based in Wisconsin, and he and his wife reside in Illinois. In 2018, Uihlein invested millions of dollars in an Illinois gubernatorial election, where he supported the Republican incumbent’s primary opponent. His ads during the campaign targeted LGBTQ+ and abortion rights. Furthermore, Uihlein’s financial support through Restoration Pac and Fair Courts America played a significant role in Wisconsin’s 2023 state supreme court race, favoring the conservative candidate Dan Kelly.
One anonymous Mexican Uline worker expressed their view to the Guardian, stating that they found the Uihleins’ strong support for Trump to be somewhat contradictory. This sentiment arises from the fact that the company itself brings Mexican workers to the United States.