America holds the title of “Second highest destination in the world for trafficked women” and the Congress had estimated that anywhere from 14,500 to 50,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year (Pierce 3). Although, many people considered human trafficking as the crime prevalent only in underdeveloped (third world countries) or in developing countries, estimates by the National Human Trafficking hotline shows that 1,947 of the 8,524 human trafficking cases reported in 2016 involved the American citizens or permanent residents, thus evidencing the greater vulnerability of citizens towards the molestation and exploitation than the foreign national individuals within the United States. In the same way, they fielded a total of …show more content…
26,557 calls in the year 2016 and concluded that the human trafficking in the United States rose by 35.7 percent than the previous year (NHTH, 2018). Thus, it is evident that any war or refugee admissions or terrorist attacks are responsible for the growth rate of human trafficking cases which involved the US citizen, but it is the lack of law enforcement strategies. In Michelle Goldberg’s view, America is a source, transit, and destination country of men, women, and children subjected to slavery and victims throughout the country, including children in the forced prostitution, was detained rather than assisted. Also, she agreed with the fact that the US has a better record than most countries, but still hidden ashes of slavery exist in the American soil (Goldberg). In 2001, over fifty-one men from India, with the promise of employment at John Pickle company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to America.
As the plaintiffs allege, they were forced to work more than forty-one hours, were paid less than a minimum wage, and forced to eat and sleep within the work facility. The desire or hope to improve their families and their own livelihood causes many human trafficking victims to put their lives at risks and put their trust in people, who promise to transport them to the United States. On the other hand, Corporates, such as John Pickle Company, can benefit from the free labor and by employing subcontractors, shield those Corporates from state or federal liability …show more content…
(Pierce). Modern Slavery touches in everyday life in the form of the clothing, electronics, agency labor, subcontracted car-wash companies, and so on.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), there are roughly 24.9 million people worldwide who are victims of forced labor, unfortunately, the prevalence of labor trafficking in the US is unknown (Polaris ). Similarly, the number of corporations involved in this crime is countless because the corporate involvement in the human trafficking within the United States usually occurs in an intricate subcontract scheme and they are generating about thirty-two-billion-dollar profit per year. The Corporates were keen to use these schemes because to displace their responsibility by turning a blind eye towards the forced labor (Pierce). Correspond to these estimates, National Human trafficking hotline services claim that the domestic work and agriculture are the major contributors of forced labor in the US. In the same fashion, the involvement of the Public Corruption, as the silent partner to the human trafficking because public corruption facilitates the traffickers to procure falsified passports, visas, and entry documents at each step of the way. As the country’s public corruption increases, the rate of human trafficking also increases (Kendall and Funk
55). Though the United States recognize both international persons as well as citizens as the human trafficking victims, citizens are treated disparately. This disparity may be because of the government’s historical view of approaching both these groups. This presumption is comprehensible because the media and newspaper reports in the late 1990s, when the TVPA was enacted, addressed that the foreigners were trafficked into the US and completely ignore the severe human trafficking issues within the country. As a result, domestic victims receive fewer protections, may have to deal with greater bureaucracies to access what assistance they deserve and may be prosecuted for sexual criminal offenses like prostitution in greater numbers than foreign individuals (Peters 16). Even though the TVPA act had a greater impact in combating country’s slavery, it does not completely accessible to the American citizens. This triggers the fact that the thirteenth amendment unable to deliver the legal protection and restoration it has promised to the domestic victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is the stealing of men, women, and children from their home and family, tearing husbands from wife, parents from children, shackled in chains, and bloodied with the whip. It is not only unethical to the conception of human rights and dignity, but to the conception of belief that all are created equal. Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution can completely eradicate the Trans-Atlantic Slavery worldwide, and it helped to change the society and its practices. Thus, it can combat the problem of modern-day slavery and propose the tougher law enforcement and punishment to the traffickers. The perpetrators of this crime, whether they are civilians, corporates, or public corruption facilities, must be brought to justice. In Virginia and Markus view, “Developing an anticorruption strategy, prohibit severe forms of trafficking, and prescribe punishment proportionate to that for grave crimes, such as forcible child sexual assault”, can systematically reduce the crime rate (Kendall and Funk 61). Similarly, domestic victims need to be identified as victims, receive protection from arrest and prosecution. Unfortunately, there is only a little attention to domestic minor victims, and in particular male victims in sex and labor trafficking. These victims should be provided with the rights such as short-term or long-term housing services and the privilege to confront their traffickers with the 13th Amendment of the US constitution. Using 13th Amendment to prosecute the modern-day slave owners and Corporates reinforce the meaning of the amendment in all its forceful hearing, which would generate a nationwide alarm to this social injustice. Works Cited Goldberg, Michelle. “Human Trafficking: Report Ranks U.S., World Countries” The Daily Beast. 13 June. 2010. www.thedailybeast.com/human-trafficking-report-ranks-us-world-countries? Accessed 08 April 2018. Human Trafficking and Statistics at National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2018, humantraffickinghotline.org/type-trafficking/human-trafficking. Accessed 13 Apr. 2018. Kendall, Virginia M., and T. Markus. Funk. Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses. Rowman &Amp; Littlefield, 2012. Napolitano, Andrew P. “Immigration and the Constitution”. Reason Free Mind and Free Markets, reason.com/archives/2015/09/03/immigration-and-the-us-constitution. Accessed 18 April 2018. Peters, Amanda. “Disparate protections for American human trafficking victims”. Cleveland State Law Review, 2013, Vol. 61(1), pp.1-45. engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? Accessed on 19 April 2018. Pierce, Sarah C. "Turning a blind eye: U.S. corporate involvement in modern day slavery." Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, Spring 2011, p. 577+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, link.galegroup.com.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A258439651/OVIC? Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. Sex Trafficking in the U.S.: A Closer Look at U.S. Citizen Victims. Polaris Freedom happens Now. Polaris Project, May 2015, polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/us-citizen-sex-trafficking.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2018. U.S. Constitution. Amend. XII, Sec. 1.
As victim count continues to rise, its difficult to see how such great numbers of men, women and children are bought and sold every year. Trafficking can be found in many forms, including: prostitution, slavery, or forced labor (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that international human trafficking became globally noticed. With the lack of government intervention and control in several nations, and the free trade market, slavery once again became a profitable industry (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). As previously mentioned, easier movement across nations borders is one of the outcomes of globalization. It is also what makes human trafficking so easy today. It is estimated that about 20.9 million people are victims across the entire globe (United Nations Publications, 2012); trafficking accounts for 32 billion dollars in generated profit globally (Brewer, n.d). 58 percent of all human trafficking was for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and of this 55-60 percent are women (United Nations Publications,
This study examines the research that initially began on October 28, 2000 and spanned through to October 31, 2009. If a human trafficking case occurred in the US, with the victim being under the age of 18, and at least one arrested, indicted or convicted felon, their case would be filed in the data analysis report. This research resulted in the finding of 115 separate incidents of human trafficking, involving at least 153 victims and 215 felons or perpetrators, 117 (53.4%) of them being convicted of their heinous actions. Each individual case consisted of anywhere between 1 to 9 victims of trafficking. 90% of these victims were females between the ages of 5 to 17 years who were held captive from less than 6 months to 5 years. 25 (16.3%) of these minors were exploited through some type of false promise and 15 (9.8%) were kidnapped. 34 (22.2%) of the victims were abused through com...
“Human trafficking coerces and persuades their victims to cross national borders in search of new jobs and better opportunities and after that they are forced into some sort of labor bondage” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Even though trafficking is a problem in almost every country; poorer countries have a bigger problem with it because they are more desperate for work. Just in 2000, the U.S. enacted their first federal anti-trafficking law, called the Victims of Trafficking Protection Act (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Trafficking has just begun to receive notice on how big of a problem it actually is. “Proponents of strict anti-trafficking initiatives say that laws and prevention against trafficking are necessary in order to stem the growing tide of large scale organized crime that profits off of smuggling and trafficking” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1).
Sexual exploitation exploits women and provides a vehicle for racism in a “first world” country like America, where victimization rates are disproportionately higher with “third world” women (O'Connor & Healy, 2007). Goodson is an anti-trafficking activist, is director of international programs for Shared Hope International which is an organization who works with victims of sex trafficking. From her experience, many victims are poor and are sexually abused children and young adults who are swayed by the promises of a better life. Once they reach the United States, the victims are psychologically and physically abused. In the United States, victims of international sex trafficking come primarily from South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa through states such as Florida, California and New York (Goodson, 2006). The U.S. Department of State estimates that about 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across national borders annually. Furthermore, it is estimated that 17,500 to 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. annually, with Florida receiving a high percentage of those victims. Although the people who enter the United States are often not legally permitted to enter the United States, Lagon asserts that it is important to note the difference between human
The United States is a major port for human trafficking and, “Due to the covert nature of human trafficking, it is difficult to ascertain which countries are the primary source nations for trafficking into the US” (Hepburn). People of all ages and genders are at risk to human trafficking (Hepburn). Women and girls make up about fifty-six percent of the people trafficked for forced labor, while men and boys make up the other forty-four percent; children make up forty to fifty percent of those numbers (Hepburn). Ninety-eight percent of the people trafficked for sexual explorations are women and girls (Hepburn). Children tend to be targeted more than adults because they are much more vulnerable. Human trafficking has different forms, and “While trafficking for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation is more publicized in the media, it is not the only form of trafficking that takes place in the US” (Hepburn). Trafficking for the purposes of forced labor is just as likely to occur as trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation (Hepburn). Many citizens have never heard of human trafficking for something other than sexual exploitation. Hepburn shows that, “Forty-three percent are trafficked for purposes of...
Summary: We see that there are many different aspects and types of human trafficking that everyone should be made aware of. As a whole human trafficking is a lucrative industry raking in $150 BILLION globally. The impact that this industry has on its victims is
Most of the human trafficking in the world takes the form of forced labor, according to the International Labor Organization estimate on forced labor. Also known as involuntary worker, forced labor may result when employers take advantage...
Human trafficking is among the fastest growing categories of crime in the world right now, rivaled only by the drug and weapons industries. A 32 billion dollar global enterprise annually, its effects are far reaching and highly damaging to all involved. In reality, “human trafficking” is essentially a politically correct term for slavery. Through books, articles, and interviews, the two phrases are used interchangeably and are used to mean the same exact thing. There is an endless list of myths and misconceptions in regards to human trafficking, but I plan to keep all the information here very clear and concise. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Human trafficking is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” (1) This means that innocent people are taken from their homes and families, kept in secret and forced to work for their captor or whomever they are sold to. This work may be physical labor and it may be sexual in nature. The living conditions are usually harsh, and it is not uncommon for the captor (or
Many people are astounded to hear that human trafficking is not just a complication outside of America’s borders and that it is flattering more of an American drawback as intervals go on. Human trafficking has converted into creation's second leading criminal industry, transforming the individual, their dignity and rights as a human being, and humankind. The United States of America is mainly a transfer for trafficking in persons. It is assessed in The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, “that 14,500 to 17,500 people, primarily women and children, are trafficked to the U.S. annually.” This act augments pre-existing illegal disadvantages, offers new defenses and makes accessible certain welfares and aids to victims of trafficking. The Department’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices estimated that from at least 127 countries have found to be harnessed in 137 states. In the United States, for instance, more than 15,000 individuals are enforced into the present day counterpart of slavery every year. An estimated one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand Americans are forced into this each year, as predicted by the national police department. But the collision of human trafficking goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches. The U.S. has aided states to enact anti-trafficking regulation, educated law enforcement officials, DAs, border guards and judicial officers, and impeaching traffickers, and protecting targets.
The United States has one of the largest percentages of trafficked humans worldwide, however so many individual are unaware of this issue. As many as 17,500 individuals are thought to be trafficked into the United Stated annually, and some have estimated that 100,000 U.S. citizen children are victims of trafficking within the U.S. (Siskin & Wyler, 2010). Since many cases go unreported, these estimates may be fewer than the actual number of victims in the US. There is substantial evidence that supports the ideology that woman and children from low socio-economic status are most likely targeted (Okech, Morreau, & Benson, 2011), of all the people trafficked each year about 70 percent of women and 50 percent are children that are mainly forced into the sex trade (Human Trafficking Statistics). Among socio-economic problems, the trafficking business feeds on conditions of vulnerability, such as family conflicts, natural disasters, youth, ignorance, gender, social exclusion, political instabil...
According to estimates, more than 700,000 people are trafficked every year for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. They are transported across borders and sold into modern-day slavery. Over the past decade, trafficking in human beings has reached epidemic proportions. No country is immune. Clawson (2009) discusses how the search for work abroad has been fueled by economic disparity, high unemployment and disruption of traditional livelihoods. It recognizes neither boundaries nor borders. Consequently profits from trafficking feed into the casket of organized crime. Trafficking is fueled by other criminal activities such as document fraud, money laundering and migrant smuggling. Because trafficking cases are expansive in reach, they are among the most important matters. (Clawson 2009)
Trafficking in humans is a massive underground industry throughout the United States as well as close to home, mainly Chicago and it’s suburbs. “Human Trafficking is the recruiting, harboring,moving or obtaining a person by force, fraud or coercion, for the purposes of involuntary servitude, debt bondage or sexual exploitation( Human Trafficking in Illinois ).” Human Trafficking is one of the largest and is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Annually, 9.5 billion dollars of profits are generated from trafficking humans worldwide. “Persons do not have to have been transported internationally to be considered victims of trafficking” (Facts about Human Trafficking).
One reason why human trafficking is a serious crime that many people are unaware of is because it secretly takes place in the United States. Between 2007 and 2012, there were reports of 9,298 different cases of human trafficking (Polaris Project). An example of how unknown this topic is is that 41% of sex trafficking cases and 20% of labor trafficking cases were proven to have United States citizens as victims (Polaris Project). And this is only what we know so far. There are thousands of cases that we don’t know about. Many people also don’t know that men, women, and even children are also taken hostage by human traffickers. An example of this would be that out of those 9,298 cases that were reported, women were victims of sex trafficking in 85% of those cases. Men were victims of labor trafficking in 40% of those cases (Polaris Project). Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice). Children are even more under the radar than we know about. On average, one in three teenagers on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving their home (National Runaway Hotline). For example, two female friends who were minors ran away from home and were prom...
The “Land of the free” is not so free after all. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry after illegal drugs and arms trafficking . Human trafficking is like modern day slavery; it is defined as the loss of freedom to another 's control by force, fraud or coercion. The United States turns out to be the #1 destination for child sex trafficking. I chose this topic because it interested me the most out of all other topics. When finding a topic to do research on, none of the topics left me asking myself so many questions. The fact that i barely knew anything about human trafficking, made me realize that there might be many people out there that are like me. People who probably think that human trafficking rarely happens,
Human trafficking, or the selling and buying of people, is a well-hidden yet prominent issue within today’s society. It is both an immoral and horrific topic that needs brought to attention and dealt with. When human beings are manipulated into work, sexual servitude, or economic hardship, human trafficking is occurring. In the year of 2006, only one individual is convicted of human trafficking per 800 victims (UNGIFT). By looking at straight statistics, reasons human trafficking happens, and the toll it has on people, it is very clear that this is a major issue that is happening in our world.