Human Trafficking: Snaring the Spirit

Shame,
Helplessness Are Effects of 'Modern-Day Slavery'

EXCERPT
from https://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/united_states_of_america
The U.S. Department of State
began monitoring trafficking in persons in 1994, when the issue began to
be covered in the Department’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices. Originally, coverage focused on trafficking of women and
girls for sexual purposes. The report coverage has broadened over the
years, and U.S. embassies worldwide now routinely monitor and report on
cases of trafficking in men, women, and children for all forms of forced
labor, including agriculture, domestic service, construction work, and
sweatshops, as well as trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.

Nearly
900,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year.

Human Trafficking:Snaring the Spirit

By Sheryl Fred, News Staff

NOTE
NEWS DATE 2004 ,

page:https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2004/09/trafficking.asp

Illustration: John Michael Yanson

Lured
by promises of lucrative waitressing and child-care jobs in Florida,
more than two-dozen Mexican women and girls agreed to be smuggled into
the United States by the Cadena family in 1996 and 1997.
Instead
of getting the gainful employment and $400 per week they'd been
promised, the women were raped, beaten and then forced to have sex with
25 to 30 men per day as part of a prostitution ring that ultimately
earned the Cadenas millions of dollars.
The story of the
Cadenas' victims, which came to light after federal agents coordinated a
raid of six of Florida's brothels in 1997, is one of the most
high-profile examples of human trafficking in the country. Often
referred to as modern-day slavery, human trafficking is defined by U.S.
law as the "recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or
obtaining of a person" for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced
labor.
The U.S. government estimates that between 800,000
and 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders every
year. And the problem is
only getting worse: Next to the drug trade, human trafficking is now
tied with illegal arms dealing as the second-largest criminal industry
in the world. Of those trafficked annually worldwide, between 18,000 and
20,000 are brought to the United States.
NASW's
policy statements on human rights, refugees, child welfare and cultural
competence all speak to the issue of human trafficking.
"We are
emphatically opposed to human trafficking, and we recognize that this is
a topic that needs further attention," said Luisa Lopez, NASW's
affirmative action officer and manager of the association's Human Rights
and International Affairs Department.
Congress passed the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act in 2000. The legislation, which entitles trafficked persons to the
same social services and benefits as those with refugee status —
including resettlement services, food stamps, refugee medical assistance
and foster care — has sparked interest among social workers and
provided more funding and opportunities to get involved.

Click here for full story…> >

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https://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/76

Arizona
Governor Signs Human Trafficking Bill1

March
2005
Senate Bill 1372 is touted as a
significant step in the fight against "coyotes" who have made Arizona
a preferred border crossing where immigrants are often left to die in
the desert or end up trapped inside temporary homes known as drop houses
without food or water and are occasionally beaten up.
It
is the first major bill signed by Napolitano this session.
The
law gives local authorities the power to prosecute those who smuggle
people across the Arizona border, which has emerged as a major
transportation route for illegal immigration. It also applies to the
human traffickers who transport legal or illegal immigrants to coerce
them into labor or prostitution.
It makes human smuggling a Class 4
felony crime punishable by up to three years in prison. It provides
stiffer penalties against those who recruit, entice or force a person
into prostitution.
Dealing with immigration crimes is the
responsibility of the federal government. For instance, Phoenix police
alert immigration authorities when they find dozens of immigrants
jam-packed in homes.
But under the new law, which
becomes effective 90 days after the 2005 regular session ends, local
authorities will help with that burden.
Some
immigrant advocates reacted cautiously, saying they welcome any laws
that protect immigrants but are worried that innocent people may pay the
consequences.
Rep. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson and a
main sponsor of the legislation, said it specifically defines human
traffickers and "coyotes" as those who profit from that activity. He
also added that while training might be needed, local law enforcement
has long dealt with border issues and thus will know how to carry out
the new law. Adapted from https://www.azcentral.com/specials/special12/articles/0315leg-smuggle15.html

United
States of America

To report an instance of
suspected trafficking, please call the HOTLINE: 1.888.3737.888
2 007 U.S. Department of State
Trafficking in Persons Report
Attorney General’s Annual Report to Congress
on U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons Fiscal
Year 2006 (May
2007)

2006
US Department of State Human Rights Report   (Released March 2007) - Includes
reporting on human trafficking

Assessment of U.S. Government Efforts to Combat
Trafficking in Persons September
2006   (Multi-Department Report)
Report on Activities to Combat Human Trafficking: Fiscal Years 2001 - 2005 (Department of Justice)
The United States of America is principally a transit and
destination country for trafficking in persons. It is estimated
that 14,500 to 17,500 people, primarily women and children, are
trafficked to the U.S. annually. ¹ The U.S. Government is
strongly committed to combating trafficking in persons at home and
abroad. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ,
enhances pre-existing criminal penalties, affords new protections to
trafficking victims and makes available certain benefits and services to
victims of severe forms of trafficking. It also establishes a
Cabinet-level federal interagency task force and establishes a federal
program to provide services to trafficking victims. The U.S. Government
recognizes the need to sustain and further enhance efforts in order to
achieve the goals and objectives of theAct.

Recent
Updates

Somalia:
Human Trafficking on the Increase
Officials in Somalia's
self-declared independent state of Somaliland are concerned over a rise
in human trafficking in the region.

New
Task Force Aims to Fight Human Trafficking in Texas
Human
trafficking in Texas is nothing new, but the state's previous efforts to
end this practice have fallen short.

Police
Break Up Group Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Europe
Police
in Italy and across Europe have arrested a group of mainly Nigerian
citizens accused of trafficking women for sex, European police agency
Europol said.

Barbados
Dismisses Human Trafficking Allegations
Barbados is the latest
Caribbean country to defend itself against allegations that it isn't
doing enough to prevent human trafficking.

Safe
House to be Established for Victims of Human Trafficking in Sabah,
Malaysia
Sabah will set up a safe house for foreign women who are
victims human trafficking and domestic abuse.

Read
more in our news archive »