Management Health Systems v. Selispara

Eden Selispara, a Filipino nurse, was recruited by a company called MedPro to work in the United States as part of the EB-3 immigrant visa program. Once she arrived in the U.S., she was assigned to a three-bedroom apartment with eight other adults, where she waited two months, without pay and prohibited from traveling outside of South Florida.  When she confronted MedPro about its failure to even arrange any job interviews for her, MedPro employees threatened to report her to U.S. immigration officials for fraud and “financial consequences” if she didn’t continue to wait, unpaid.  When Ms. Selispara finally decided to try and find a job for herself, MedPro demanded over $150,000, and then filed a lawsuit against her.  Along with co-counsel Varnell and Warwick, Public Citizen is representing Ms. Selispara in defending against the lawsuit, and has filed counterclaims against MedPro for its abusive treatment, in violation of state and federal law.

In August 2018, the parties settled the case, without any party admitting wrongdoing, and MedPro agreeing to modify its recruitment, placement, and compensation practices for nurses and health care professionals it brings to the United States from abroad.