Twenty-one tortured victims of human trafficking were rescued from a Fort Worth, Texas home on December 23.
Two accused human traffickers were arrested during the raid.
Domingo Garcia, who is the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said in a statement that the house was raided by the FBI, and 21 refugees from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala were rescued.
Garcia confirmed that the victims had been held captive and were found naked, starving, freezing and terrified.
The alleged abductors, Plata Ibarra, 35, and Gonzalo Ramirez, 33, were arrested by the Fort Worth police and charged with human trafficking.
A toddler was among the victims, and had not been fed for days because her mother could not produce breast milk due to her own lack of nourishment.
LULAC confirmed that the rescued people were released to the agency’s care, and they provided them with food, shelter, medical care and clothing.
The victims will not be deported because they are granted temporary immunity from deportation under visa provisions that protect victims of alleged crimes.
Hilda Duarte, LULAC’s national chaplain, said, “When I got the call at 1:45 am, my heart raced, and I went into action mode.” Duarte is in charge of providing assistance to the rescued victims through LULAC. She said that the organization will provide them with help, including getting medical attention and essential items, and connecting them with family in the United States.
The rescue was a coordinated operation between the FBI and the Fort Worth Police Department.