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New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Bakers on Texas-Mexican Border Are Found Guilty of Harboring Illegal Workers
A federal jury on Wednesday found a Texas couple who owns a bakery on the Texas-Mexico border guilty of harboring undocumented workers, months after their beloved shop became snared in President Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. Federal authorities had accused the couple, Leonardo Baez, a father of seven, and his wife, Nora Alicia Avila, both immigrants from Mexico and green card holders, of knowingly employing and giving shelter to undocumented workers. The case was one of the first brought against business owners as Immigration and Customs Enforcement was ramping up arrests. of undocumented workers. On Wednesday, a jury in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, sided with the federal government after a three-day trial that pitted two pillars of the community in Los Fresno, a small border town, against the Trump administration and its immigration policies. In addition to the harboring charge, the couple was found guilty of conspiring to transport undocumented immigrants. Sentencing was set for November. The two face up to 10 years in prison and the loss of their legal status. Their 'actions not only violate federal immigration laws but also exploit vulnerable individuals for profit,' said Craig Larrabee, the special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, in a statement. 'This conviction sends a clear message: those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable.' Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman, a political scientist and immigration expert at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, worried about the precedent for what she called a selective prosecution. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine. Six of the employees had visitor visas, and two were in the country illegally. None had permission to work in the U.S. Employees lived in a room with six beds and shared two bathrooms in the same building as the bakery, according to the federal affidavit. Baez and Avila-Guel were tried this week in Brownsville, a border city about a 20 minutes' drive southeast of their Los Fresnos bakery. The jury heard from five government witnesses, including an agent who was present during the raid, before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. The defense presented no witnesses. Videos of the interviews with the two employees in the country without visas or work authorization were played during the trial. Both employees said they were not held against their will and were compensated for their work, according to local reporting. Baez and Avila-Guel were allowed to return to work while they awaited trial. When they reopened their bakery in April, the business had a steady stream of customers return to lend their support. They will continue to be released on bond until their sentencing, which is scheduled for November. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel , a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Toronto Star
Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine. Six of the employees had visitor visas, and two were in the country illegally. None had permission to work in the U.S. Employees lived in a room with six beds and shared two bathrooms in the same building as the bakery, according to the federal affidavit. Baex and Avila-Guel were tried this week in Brownsville, a border city about a 20 minutes' drive southeast of their Los Fresnos bakery. The jury heard from five government witnesses, including an agent who was present during the raid, before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. The defense presented no witnesses. Videos of the interviews with the two employees in the country without visas or work authorization were played during the trial. Both employees said they were not held against their will and were compensated for their work, according to local reporting. Baez and Avila-Guel were allowed to return to work while they awaited trial. When they reopened their bakery in April, the business had a steady stream of customers return to lend their support. They will continue to be released on bond until their sentencing, which is scheduled for November.
