San Antonio Standard

State Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) recently announced that survivors of last month's Texas truck trafficking tragedy may be given T or U visas to remain in the U.S. 

The representative made his announcement over a series of tweets on Thursday that also touched upon how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working on behalf of the victims.

"This morning, I joined my colleagues in the @HispanicCaucus to speak with @SecMayorkas about what DHS is doing to help the victims of the human smuggling tragedy in San Antonio and their families.

"DHS is looking into the potential applicability of T and U visas for the survivors. These visas provide victims of human trafficking and other crimes with protections from deportation and help law enforcement prosecute those responsible.

"DHS is also working with the governments of Mexico, Guatemala and other countries to repatriate the bodies of the dead and support affected families. I’ve asked DHS to let the families of the survivors visit their loved ones in the U.S., and I hope they will do that."

According to the New York Post, 11 migrants survived the June 27 human smuggling attempt turned tragedy in San Antonio, which left 53 victims dead. The migrants were found trapped inside a tractor trailer amid scorching temperatures. Castro recently confirmed that the DHS was researching whether these 11 migrants could be granted T or U visa status, so as to legally reside within the U.S.

DHS grants T visa status for individuals who have been victims of “severe human trafficking,” New York Post reported. The visa gives holders temporary residency in the U.S. for up to four years, the legal ability to work and a potential for permanent residency. DHS grants U visa status for witnesses and informants during open investigations, namely “victims of crime who are willing to help law enforcement in the prosecution of other criminals.”

According to Reuters, two suspects—both Mexican nationals—have been apprehended and charged in U.S. federal court, after local authorities identified them as the owners of the tractor trailer truck. Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao and Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez face charges of possessing firearms while living in the U.S. illegally. 

Homero Zamorano Jr.—the truck driver, who is a U.S. citizen and native of Texas—also has been detained and will likely be charged by federal authorities, as reported by Reuters. When confronted by San Antonio Police, Zamorano was allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine. Two different sources confirmed the suspect’s alleged meth usage to Reuters: U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and an official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Craig Larrabee, acting special agent in charge of the investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said this incident is the greatest recorded loss of human life from a human trafficking attempt within America’s borders, Reuters reported. Local police found “stacks of bodies” inside the tractor trailer and located other bodies strewn around the nearby area. They described some victims as hot to the touch, likely indicating dehydration or heat stroke.

In a recent interview with The Austin Journal, Texas Public Policy Foundation Policy Scholar Selene Rodriguez said, “Human smuggling is the precursor of human trafficking. People who conspire with human smugglers to illegally enter the United States typically incur in thousands of dollars of debt to make the trip. After entering the country illegally, these same people are often forced to pay off that debt through forced labor and sexual exploitation, which is the essence of the modern-day slavery that is human trafficking.”