The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced a probe Monday into allegations that hotels in the area hired Venezuelan migrants to replace striking workers, his office said in a statement.
The investigation will focus on the hiring practices of hotels in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, the district attorney’s office said in a statement Monday. The investigation “will comprehensively scrutinize” allegations that some of the migrants were bussed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been providing transportation to illegal immigrants traveling to several cities across the U.S. (RELATED: Ted Cruz Raises Concerns Over Federal Memo Warning Hamas, Hezbollah Could Be Crossing Southern Border)
Abbott has bussed more than 1,000 migrants to Los Angeles, the governor said in an Oct. 18 tweet.
“We take these egregious allegations with the utmost seriousness,” Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement.
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 14: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agents detain an immigrant on October 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
“The mistreatment of vulnerable workers and their exploitation will not be tolerated. We will conduct an exhaustive investigation, working closely with UNITE HERE Local 11 and other stakeholders to ensure strict compliance with labor laws and protect the rights and dignity of all workers,” Gascon said.
The union is supportive of the probe, UNITE HERE Local 11 Co-President Ada Briceño said in a statement regarding the investigation.
“Thank you to District Attorney Gascón’s leadership on this issue. We will not stand by while that happens, our union is committed to continue fighting for all workers,” Briceño said.
A spokesperson for Abbott didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.