Mixed Reality and Healthcare Practice:
Local Innovations in Human Trafficking Response
An initiative to help equip Laredo’s healthcare community with practical tools to identify and address human trafficking in their practice is the focus of a one-day conference, “Mixed Reality and Healthcare Practice: Local Innovations in Human Trafficking Response” on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Student Center Ballroom.
Among Conference highlights are an overview of human trafficking and common misconceptions about it; insights from research conducted by the CCHT grant about the forms of sex and labor trafficking common in South Texas; a guide to local resources available for trafficking survivors, and trauma-informed strategies for providing comprehensive community support.

Conference Highlights
- Location: TAMIU Student Center Ballroom (STC 203)
- Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
- Topics:
- Understanding Human Trafficking in Healthcare: Identifying Victims & Indicators
- Implementing Trauma Informed Care in Healthcare Settings
- Mixed Reality (MR) Session – ER Scenario: Recognizing Trafficking Cases & Using PEARR
- Policy Development: Creating Institutional Protocols for Human Trafficking Response
- Multi-Agency Panel: Cases Resources, Documentation & Law Enforcement Collaboration
- Expert Panel: Clinical Experience & Healthcare Collaboration in Human Trafficking Response
Speakers
Dr. Claudia San Miguel
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Criminal Justice
Researches criminal justice, securing significant grant funding.
Dr. Ariadne Gonzalez
Associate Provost
Associate Professor of Communications
Studies identity, immigration, and labor.
Dr. Nilda Garcia
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Examines organized crime and drug trafficking.
Dr. Marcus Ynalvez
Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Sociology
Focuses on science, health, and mentoring.
Dr. Isaac Kimmel
Associate Researcher for the Center to Counter Human Trafficking
Studies sociology, media, and political communication.
Dr. Aziz Rahman
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Center to Counter Human Trafficking
Researches immigration, violence, policing, and terrorism.
Manuel Guillen Jr.
Program Manager for the Center to Counter Human Trafficking
Research education, leadership, and human development.
Crystal Vasquez
CCHT Graduate Research Assistant
Studying cognition, neuroscience, and inclusive education.
Sarah Martinez
CCHT Graduate Research Assistant
Focused on executive function in learning and human rights advocacy.
TAMIU Center to Counter Human Trafficking
Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library (KLM) 418B
956.326.4980
ccht@tamiu.edu
If you or someone you know may need help to escape a trafficking situation, please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 888.373.7888, texting 233733, or reporting online at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/report-trafficking. If someone is in immediate danger, please call 911.