Human Trafficking in the United States

In 2010, there were almost 30,000 Latino immigrants in Durham, ninety percent of which were undocumented immigrants (Johnson). Initially, most Latino immigrants arrived in the southwest, but since the turn of the century, more have settled in new destinations, such as Durham, and other parts of the Southeast, due to opportunities to work in low-skilled jobs.

Human trafficking is a public health problem within the United States and Internationally. The victims subjected to the lifestyle of human trafficking can have sexually transmitted disease, HIV virus, and AIDS. It is an estimated 30,000 victims of human sex trafficking dying each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. According, to U.S. government an estimates, of 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, and up to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year (Hodge, 2008). “According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over the past 30 years, over 30 million children have been sexually exploited through human trafficking” (Random Facts, 2015, para. 24).

Human trafficking is a prominent problem within the United States that is often overlooked. The definition of human trafficking is, “Human trafficking - the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation” (“Human trafficking”). People in the United States believe that human trafficking is a problem that occurs in other less developed countries compared to the United States. What these individuals do not realize is that human trafficking occurs on American soil contrary to popular belief. The United States is one of the top three destination countries of human trafficking and human trafficking is a top criminal enterprise across the world (“WEAVE, Inc.”).

Human Trafficking is in America, it’s in backyard and most don’t even know it. Many Americans believe that this horrible action only takes place in countries such as China, Japan, India, and Ghana but no; it happens in the United States also. The definition of human trafficking is the “illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation” (dictionary.com). Slavery was abolished in 1865 in the 13th amendment in the constitution but it sad to say, it still exist. “60,000 people in America in November 2013 could safely be called modern day slaves” (Slavery isn’t a thing of the past). Today human trafficking is counted as immigrant workers who are smuggled into the country and forced to work under the threat of violence. And also men and women, forced to sell their bodies for sex and give all their money to their pimps (Slavery isn’t a thing of the past). Pimps are the ones who usually run the human trafficking business. Approximately75-80% of human trafficking is for sex (55 little known facts about human trafficking). Many believe that only adults are being worked but children and teens are too, matter of fact the average age is between12 and 14. The number of human trafficking in the United States will continue to increase because it is too difficult to find and prevent.

Each year about 17,500 individuals are brought into the United States and become victims of human trafficking. Every country has this problem and it has become the 3rd largest illegal industry worldwide.

Human trafficking is an issue that no one really wants to talk about. The media portrays this horrible crime as something that only happens in foreign lands. Americans do not want to believe that something so heinous could happen on our own soil. However when survivors of human trafficking come forward, people are forced to confront the reality that this issue is not that far from home. Some individuals still choose to deny that this is a real issue. However the facts make it extremely hard to deny that human trafficking happens on American soil.

Human sex trafficking and its sister category, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking also referred to as DMST, (Kotrla,K. 2010) is the most common form of modern day slavery. In the United States there are an estimated 293,000 youth who fall under high risk factor or DMST (Walker-Rodriguez, A. & Hill, R. 2011). Many men prey on the at risk youth to make a fortune for themselves. DMST exposes the youth to a life filled with violence, abuse that is both mental and physical as well as a isolation. The Victims of the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 defines sex trafficking, “in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion or in which the person induced to

Situation: Every year in the United States, there are an estimated 14,000- 17,500 people trafficked across our boarders. The issues of international human trafficking have only recently been brought to light as an increasing problem within the United States. The department of homeland security, which consists of many branches such as Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Coast Guard, are some of the top combating agencies against human trafficking. With the rise of the amount of victims estimated to be trafficked into the U.S each year, there is much more that needs to be done in order to better address the issue.

Human trafficking doesn’t happen in third world countries only. It doesn’t just happen to poor people and it certainly doesn’t solely happen to women. It is present here in the USA but it is hidden, and even worse, so are their victims. They are everywhere yet invisible. They are silently crying for our help through their eyes and smiles. According to Polaris, “…the prevalence of sex trafficking in the United States is still unknown, we do know that women, children, and men are being sold for sex against their will in cities and towns in all 50 states”. Human trafficking can happen to anyone even to Theresa Flores, the author of “The slave across the street”(“Sex trafficking” 2015). An average 15 year old American girl, coming from a privileged background and a respected family became a victim of sex trafficking and through her book, she convinces us that human trafficking doesn’t have a specific demographic.

Freedom is an undeniable right that this Country was founded upon. Yet even today, the ongoing practice of human trafficking continues on a disturbingly large scale. Well said by the President, “It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity. It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric. It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime. I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of

When most people think of human trafficking they think of third world countries where little girls are sold for next to nothing, and when people think about trafficking in America they usually think of Asian and Eastern European women being brought into the states. The truth is that it is actually 10 times more likely for an American girl to be trafficked inside the U.S., and according to The U.S. Department of State statistics almost 300,000 American children are and risk for trafficking into the sex industry. It’s scary to think that your child could be kidnapped or coerced, and ultimately pulled into this trade so close to home. We as American take pride in our country and like to believe we are safe, but these dangers lurk so close to home.

The reason why I pick to write about human trafficking is, because this is something not everyone talks about. Human trafficking is when some buy or sale someone as property. In order for this to happen it needs a buyer and it also needs a seller. In order for human trafficking to be control they would need a study buyer and a study seller. When you think of the word slavery you think it wouldn't be anything that come in the present day everyone think of this word as in being in the passed or don't exist anymore. Humans being force to do work with no freedom, no choice, also no pay. There are still slavery going on in this world today just because this is not the type of slavery we are used to, but we need to be aware about. Human trafficking and undocumented immigration is on a greater scale of slavery within this day of age.

Human trafficking is considered one of the major challenges Azerbaijan faces. To rank the worst offenders, countries are divide into three groups. Group one consists of states which are utilizing the imposed standards to fight the challenge of human trafficking. Group two is where Azerbaijan is located along with seventy-eight other countries and forty-seven countries on a watch list. Those countries, situated in this group, do not meet the standards which are in place however, these countries including Azerbaijan,have been determined to be a country which is making strides to meet the standards. There was a significant number of victims and a noted failure to show increased effort to combat trafficking. However, a commitment to this problems been addressed by the country to

In 1814 Author Francis Scott key coined the phrase “Land of the Free” in a poem that would go on to inspire the National Anthem. (Biography.com Editors). Those four simple words have held different truths for many throughout history, and the struggle to validate those words continues today. In the United States a modern-day form of human slavery still exists, known as human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are forced to provide services or engage in commercial sex acts. (justice.gov). According to US. State Department there are thousands of cases of human trafficking in the US. and nearly 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year. (State.gov). Human Trafficking is crime against humanity that strips

The U.S. has tried to put forth efforts to prevent human trafficking, but they have failed to meet the overwhelming needs of victims. Victims have a long list of needs ranging anywhere from their physical needs, such as safe housing and medical care, all the way to their mental needs of having someone like a therapist. Smith writes that there is no one government agency dedicated to helping victims and providing such a wide array of needs. But there are many non-government agencies whose goal is to help assist victims (Smith 6-7). UNODC acknowledges that UNICEF, known as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, is one of the leading agencies who are fighting human trafficking. Other organizations, such as International Labor