Mexican immigrants without any legal immigration status rank highest in labor exploitation and wage abuses in San Diego County. The abuses suffered by these people stem from the fact that they are undocumented, are not proficient in English, and fear possible deportation.

In San Diego, it is estimated that 1 in 3 immigrants fall victim to this crime that, although currently prosecuted by county authorities, continues to rise in the construction and food service industries.

“Labor trafficking is the biggest problem in San Diego County, and this is an issue where we can say that half of the victims or survivors come from Mexico, and a large percentage of them are men,” stated University of San Diego researcher Ami Carpenter.

The Department of Justice, together with San Diego State University, have also shown that this is happening. According to their latest study, the victimization rate is 20 percent  in the food processing industry and nearly 17 percent in the unskilled labor, construction,  and cleaning industries. Researchers have not been able to decipher why the rate is lower in the agriculture industry, however, they did call the labor exploitation rates in the San Diego region alarming.

San Diego County is one of the top destinations for undocumented workers, as well as where they are more prone to deportation. Its location, and the sheer number of people that cross through its border every day, also leads to more employers taking advantage of their situation.

“The lack of documentation and an immigration status is the reason that causes labor exploitation,” added Carpenter. “People become extremely vulnerable, and are exposed to extreme poverty, as well as to exploitation tactics by company and business owners.”

This past Monday, December 12, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office added another case to this statistic by announcing a landmark criminal conviction in California for grand theft of labor and providing false testimony. The owner of the Antique Thai Cuisine restaurant in San Diego – which has shut down – was sentenced to two years’ jail time and was further required to repay $20,000 in stolen wages and tips to six of her workers.

According to the San Diego D.A.’s office, video footage showed when an employee who had worked 12 days in a row, including double shifts, asked 38-year-old restaurant owner Zihan Zhang about payments she was owed and unfair charges to other waiters.

“With the Labor Commissioner’s assistance, we delivered justice for workers who were repeatedly abused by a dishonest employer,” said San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

Anyone who knows about such exploitation cases, or has work-related questions or complaints, may contact DIR’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). In addition, the California Workers’ Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics, and support in labor exploitation cases without repercussion due to a person’s immigration status.