Immigrant worker on expired visa gets workers comp

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a West Liberty woman, an immigrant from Mexico who stayed in the United States after her visa had expired, is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits for a work-related injury. The case involves Pascuala Jiminez, who came to the United States in 1991 and had a visa for 10 years. She remained after it had expired and continued to work. She had lived in West Liberty for 19 years. Jiminez worked for the Chicago-based temporary employment agency, Staff Management, and was assigned to the Proctor & Gamble plant in Iowa City where she packaged shampoo and prepared boxes and pallets for shipping.