Mendoza

This case arises from claims that two agricultural companies leveraged the hiring of undocumented immigrants in order to depress the wages of their legally documented employees. We are called upon to decide two significant issues. First, we must determine whether, under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968 , legally documented agricultural workers have standing to sue their employers, whom they allege depressed their salaries by conspiring to hire undocumented workers at below market wages. Second, we must consider the constitutionality of supplemental subject matter jurisdiction involving a party over whom there is no independent basis for federal court jurisdiction. The district court resolved both questions in favor of the defendants and dismissed this lawsuit on the pleadings. We reverse.

Background

Olivia Mendoza, Juana Mendiola, and the purported class (“employees”) are agricultural laborers for Zirkle Fruit Company and Matson Fruit Company (“growers”), which operate fruit orchards and packing houses in Eastern Washington, the heart of Washington’s fruit industry. According to the complaint, 1 the employees are “persons…