Christinne Muschi/Reuters
Three upstate New York taxi companies have been slapped with fines for engaging in price gouging when transporting undocumented immigrants fleeing the U.S. to Canada. The New York State Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday said the fines were part of a settlement agreement reached with Plattsburgh companies Northern Taxi, Town Taxi, and C & L Taxi, all of which “admitted to not posting rates as required by law.” New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the companies were exploiting the current political situation—which has seen a surge in illegal border crossings to Canada—to dupe desperate undocumented immigrants into paying unreasonably high fares. “It’s no secret that we’ve seen intense fear in immigrant communities across New York in recent months. To take advantage of that fear for financial gain is simply unconscionable,” Schneiderman said in a statement. The financial penalties to be paid range from $350 to $2,500.