7 Eleven Stores in the USA have been exploiting immigrants

7 Eleven is a chain of convenience stores - stores where you can buy beer, soda, snacks, shampoo, soap etc.  They are often open 24 hours a day and, therefore, a person can go there at any time to purchase something he needs or wants.

As most inhabitants of New York City know, most 7 Eleven employees are foreign-born.  On the TV show The Simpsons, there is an Indian man who works at a 7 Eleven and who is constantly made fun of on the show.

Unfortunately, it seems that 7 Eleven has been deliberately hiring illegal immigrants and treating them badly.

In my book: New York City Sucks But You'll Want To Live Here Anyway (http://www.amazon.com/Sucks-Youll-Wanna-Anyway-ebook/dp/B004TSPAQS) I write about this situation.

I mention that I once knew a doctor from Peru and a lawyer from Hungary who were both being used by the restaurant industry to work for "slave-wages."   The doctor was working as a bus-boy (someone who cleans dishes and tables) while trying to become licensed here and the lawyer was working as a waitress while looking for an American guy to marry so she could receive her 'greencard' (a card allowing her to work better jobs and to become a US citizen)

Basically this is why many business owners welcome illegal immigration and immigrants - they can exploit (financially abuse) them.  Illegal immigrants are generally paid far less than what American workers are paid. 

Here is the article about the shocking situation at many 7 Eleven stores in the USA:

http://news.yahoo.com/7-eleven-stores-operated-modern-day-plantation-system-190034453--abc-news-topstories.html

Vocabulary to help you with the article:

a plantation system - African slaves were kept on plantations - large farms - when slavery existed in America.  They are comparing the system 7/11 used to the slavery system of the past.

a franchise, franchises - these are individual 7/11 stores.

an inhabitant - someone who lives somewhere is an inhabitant of that place.  Penguins inhabit the South Pole. 

exploitation - this is when someone is used to make money for someone else.  Often the person is not paid much, but the person using the person is paid a lot.

undocumented workers - illegal workers

furnished with stolen identities - given fake or false identities

a fraction of their wages - a small part of their wages

seized - taken

deceased - dead

fraud - an illegal way to make money

conspiring, to conspire, a conspiracy - if you conspire to do something, you secretly work with other people to do something illegal.

harboring illegal immigrants - protecting, housing or keeping illegal immigrants

held without bail - they cannot pay money to be released from jail.  They have to stay in jail until their trial.  The government feels that they may try to escape the country if they are let out on bail.

indictment - in the article the word is misspelled.  An indictment (pronounced in DITE ment) is when evidence is presented to a judge to prove that a trial should occur and the judge agrees.

a boarding house - a house in which many people are illegally placed.

to be deported - sent back to their home country.

they tipped off the police - they informed the police

ruthlessly - showing no compassion or concern