The Immigration IssueAccording to an article from Human Rights Brief, “while a large percentage of human trafficking in the U.S. involves forced prostitution, it also comprises forced labor in industries such as domestic service and agriculture, where a vast majority of trafficking victims are immigrants.” The article goes on to say that undocumented immigrants, which make up 29% of labor trafficking victims, are especially vulnerable to labor trafficking as the enforcement and implementation of immigration safeguards and protections are often “inadequate.” A growing issue across the nation, “the extent of labor trafficking in the United States exceeds the relief currently provided” A story of a labor trafficking case in Ohio is briefly mentioned in the article. The video (above) goes into more depth about the particular case and how the victims of labor trafficking were ultimately saved. |
Often, immigrant minors fall through the cracks of the system, being placed by the Department of Health and Human Services in homes or with people who only wish to exploit these children. Due to improper background checks, lack of vetting and lack of follow-up, these children are left in situations where they are extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Recently there has been national coverage as outrage over “missing” immigrant children have come to light. According to the Washington Post, reports of federal authorities misplacing nearly 1,500 immigrant children in government custody have surfaced. According to the article, during a Senate committee hearing last month, Steven Wagner, with the Department of Health and Human Services, testified that the federal agency had lost track of 1,475 children who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border on their own and subsequently were placed with adult sponsors in the United States and then were “lost.” |
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Immigrants At Risk for TraffickingAccording to the American Civil Liberties Union, in the United States, victims of trafficking are almost exclusively immigrants, with the majority of them being immigrant women. “In the U.S., immigrant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the deceptive and coercive tactics of traffickers” due to:
Immigrants are often vulnerable because of where they find employment. Many find jobs in hidden, unregulated places where they are more likely to be exploited. According to the ACLU, Trafficking of humans is driven by a global demand for cheap, unskilled, exploitable labor. Global profits from forced labor total an estimated $44.3 billion annually. |
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A Focus on Labor TraffickingA Polaris article highlighting labor trafficking states that labor traffickers include people in business such as recruiters, contractors, employers and others who use threats, debt bondage, or other forms of coercion to force people to work against their will in many different industries. Vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, are frequently targeted by traffickers. Victims are often made false promises of a high-paying job or exciting education or travel opportunities to lure people into horrendous working conditions, dangerous lifestyles and a cycle of exploitation. For immigrants pursuing the American dream, fleeing conflict or violence, such promises may grant immigrants a fleeting amount of hope that they can work towards a better life. Soon these victims discover the emptiness of these promises and must work long hours for little to no pay. Often, employers exert such physical or psychological control – including physical abuse, debt bondage, confiscation of passports or money – that victims believe they have no other choice but to continue working for that employer. A national and global issue, labor trafficking is present in various industries including working in homes as domestic workers, farmworkers, and factory workers. Victims of labor trafficking may be closer than one thinks, as immigrants and other victims have reportedly been involved in labor trafficking in sales, the restaurant business, carnivals and often health and beauty services. |