Green card holders prosecuted for employing undocumented immigrants in U.S

  Ema Alice: After a three-day trial, a jury on Wednesday convicted South Texas bakery co-owners Leonardo Baez-Lara and Alicia Avila-Guel on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to commit the crime. "We are disappointed and heartbroken after yesterday's guilty verdict. It's scary to think what may come about after this," Sergio Luis Villarreal, a lawyer representing Baez-Lara, told Newsweek on Thursday. Why It Matters Federal immigration authorities have targeted business owners for allegedly employing undocumented immigrants and arrested the couple earlier this year over the matter. The jury's decision comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, with the president having pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Much of the focus has been on detaining immigrants residing in the country with invalid documentation or criminal histories; however, those aiding individuals have also been targeted. The couple is among the first to be prosecuted not for their own legal status, but for harboring people in the country illegally, and is now charged with criminal offenses. What To Know Baez-Lara, 56, and Avila-Guel, 46, are both legal permanent residents who live in Los Fresnos, Texas, which is located near the Mexico border. They have owned and operated Abby's Bakery and Dulce's Café since 2012. Homeland Security Investigations conducted a "worksite enforcement action" at Abby's Bakery in Los Fresnos on February 12. At the site, authorities identified "several employees and others who were in the United States illegally or in the country under B1/B2 visas without having the right to work," a U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas press release said. On Wednesday, a jury in Brownsville deliberated after a three-day trial on the matter, ultimately finding the couple guilty on the two counts. The press release stated that testimony in the trial revealed that one worker, "after entering the United States illegally, he had a brief interview regarding his abilities as a baker and was immediately offered a job and a place to stay." The defense attorneys argued that the owners did not harbor the workers, but offered shelter. Villarreal told Newsweek on Thursday, "essentially, the government is expanding the use of the term 'harboring.' It sets an example for our community that the most innocent of actions with people close to you can land you in very serious legal trouble." What People Are Saying Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio said in a press release: "The jury's verdict affirms that the defendants knowingly conspired to harbor individuals in the country illegally, committed two separate acts of harboring, and did so for personal financial gain. These actions not only violate federal immigration laws but also exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. This conviction sends a clear message: those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law." Cesar de Leon, Avila-Guel's attorney, told the Associated Press: "We just felt that in this instance, there was really no harboring." U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in the press release: "The jury's verdict vindicates the American people's mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced. Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way." [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] BP/CS