According to the Paxton statement, the victims were found in a “dangerously poorly run daycare center that showed complete disregard for immigration, labor and child care licensing laws.”
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“Trafficking in workers, like all trafficking in persons, is a manipulative and despicable form of evil. I will not sit idly by as traffickers use the promise and prosperity of Texas to recruit and exploit victims,” said Paxton .
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Rodríguez, who was once named the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur of the Year, allegedly controlled her employees’ ability to work legally in the United States.
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She was also charged with allegedly threatening her employees that they would be deported, arrested or separated from their children if they did not continue working, often for much less than the promised wage or without any salary.
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“Rodríguez kept his victims calm and under control, which sometimes included forcing them to hide in closets or flee when child care licensing inspectors arrived. He also consistently prevented his employees from complaining by highlighting his connections to high-ranking law enforcement officials and other government officials. A former employee quoted Rodríguez as saying, “I am a very important person, and I can destroy you whenever I want, ‘” the press release reads.
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The prosecutor indicated that if you or someone you know may have been a victim of human trafficking at Austin Eco Bilingual School or elsewhere, you can contact the Texas Attorney General, Human Trafficking and Transnational / Organized Crime Section at (512) 463-1646 or [email protected].
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