Victims of Human Trafficking Have Rights

Victims of human trafficking in the United States are entitled to protection and assistance, regardless of their immigration status.

Definitions

LABOR TRAFFICKING

Using force, fraud or coercion to recruit, harbor, transport, provide of obtain a person for labor or services in involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

SEX TRAFFICKING

Commercial sex act induced by force, fraud or coercion; or in which the person induced to perform such act is under age 18.

Smuggling vs. Human Trafficking

SMUGGLING

Smuggling is the movement of consenting people across an international border for a fee. The migrant’s relationship with the smuggler ends upon arrival at the migrant’s destination.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Trafficking is ongoing exploitation. Travel is not always involved. In general, victims have either never consented to their conditions, of their initial consent is rendered meaningless by the victims’ age or by coercive, deceptive or abusive actions on the part of the traffickers.

Human Trafficking happens in many industries: agriculture, construction, domestic service (housekeeper, nanny), restaurants, salons, prostitution, massage parlors, and various other small businesses. With awareness, you can help to identify and report cases of human trafficking.

Signs of Human Trafficking

  • Abusive employment situation
  • One person controlling another or a group (speaking for them; escorting them to/from work
  • Employer in control of employee’s identification/immigration documents
  • People locked inside a residence or workplace
  • Someone unable to leave a particular job (forced to work there)
  • Threats to employee or employee’s family by employer
  • “Debt” owed by employee to employer
  • Employee living in employer-owned or controlled residence