With more than $88 million in FEMA contracts at issue, the Filipino workers suing RNV Construction are seeking a court order in Washington, D.C., to compel USCIS to release records tied to a 2023 probe into the company’s CW‑1 practices — allegations RNV denies.
The workers filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after USCIS failed to respond to an April 27 subpoena demanding documents related to what they describe as a Spring 2023 investigation into RNV’s treatment of CW‑1 guest workers in Saipan.
Attorney Kim Richman of Richman Law & Policy, representing the plaintiffs in the D.C. action, said the agency missed its May 13 deadline without producing records or objections. The workers argue the documents are essential to their CNMI lawsuit, where they allege forced labor, unlawful deductions, retaliation, and violations of federal and local labor laws.
In the CNMI case, the plaintiffs are represented by Aaron Halegua and Colin Thompson, while RNV is represented by attorneys Michael Dotts and Robert T. Torres, who have denied all allegations.
The lawsuit claims RNV lured Filipino workers with promises of fair pay, free housing, food, and medical care, but instead placed them in overcrowded, unsanitary barracks and deducted prohibited fees from their paychecks. Workers also allege they were threatened with deportation, blacklisting, and visa non‑renewal if they complained.
Several plaintiffs say RNV instructed them to lie to USCIS during the 2023 inquiry and later fired those who told the truth.
The workers previously filed a FOIA request in 2025 seeking the same records, but USCIS has not issued a substantive response. With fact discovery in the CNMI case closing June 30, they argue the agency’s silence is obstructing their ability to obtain evidence.
They are asking the D.C. court to order USCIS to conduct a reasonable search and produce all non‑privileged documents within 14 days.
