Twenty years ago, then-President Barack Obama declared January National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. He rightfully declared the practice an abomination and pushed for better enforcement of United States policies and better protection of victims. A worthy cause to protect the innocent and free the captives.
This is an issue that definitely ties into our own government’s constant fighting about our borders and those immigrants who trying to come to the United States for a better life. Quite a few of them are undocumented, often because they lack the resources to come into the country the correct way, and quite often these undocumented immigrants, are the most vulnerable to traffickers. Their immense poverty, and their low status within their own countries and communities, have led to them being ignored by the U.S. government and the one they departed from. The lack of resources doesn’t give these people the same voice and protection against traffickers, and these undocumented immigrants, are the ones most hunted and taken advantage of by modern-day slavers.
Below, is an example, of how human traffickers take advantage of immigrants coming to our country and manipulate them, and those with good intentions, and take advantage of those in need of our help.
The following image was shared by the news website NotTheBee.com (Not to be confused with the satire site BabylonBee) in a recent post:
It’s 2023, and rather than acting appalled, shocked, or pushing to contact law enforcement, this school administrator is calling for the raising of funds to pay off a human smuggler. That’s right rather than fight or report a criminal situation that directly affected a child, these “responsible” adults chose to raise money for the criminal traffickers that brought the child over and even give a deadline when the coyote wanted the money.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the numbers from 2011 to 2022, the number of convictions has gone up:
- A total of 2,198 persons were referred to U.S. Attorneys for human trafficking offenses in the fiscal year 2020, a 62% increase from the 1,360 persons referred in 2011.
- The number of persons prosecuted for human trafficking increased from 729 in 2011 to 1,343 in 2020, an 84% increase.
- The number of persons convicted of a federal human trafficking offense increased from 2011 (464 persons) to 2019 (837 persons), before falling in 2020 (658 persons).
- Of the 1,169 defendants charged in U.S. district court with human trafficking offenses in the fiscal year 2020—
- 92% were male
- 63% were white
- 18% were black
- 17% were Hispanic
- 95% were U.S. citizens
- 66% had no prior convictions.
- At yearend 2020, for the 47 states that reported data, 1,564 persons were in the custody of a state prison serving a sentence for a human trafficking offense.
According to other numbers, however, the number of persons trafficked has increased. And this is only those who have been identified, not counting those who have slipped through the cracks.
Between 2008 and 2019 the number of human trafficking victims identified worldwide more than quadrupled from around 30,000 to nearly 120,000 …
https://www.statista.com/topics/4238/human-trafficking/
However, according to Nic McKinley, former CIA operative and current CEO of DeliverFund, the US government is failing those who have been enslaved.
According to the Dept. of Homeland Security, human trafficking is currently estimated to be a $150 billion dollar a year industry worldwide, with $32 billion of that generated by trafficking from and to The USA, and speaking of the United States, California currently has the highest number of reported trafficking cases with Texas, Florida, and New York close behind. Due to the continued failure of the United States to rescue, prevent, and restore victims of human trafficking agencies such as Operation Underground Railroad and DeliverFund have been providing intelligence, logistical, and “boots on the ground” for the rescue of victims.
Organizations such as The Monique Burr Foundation and the United Way are providing education, and groups such as LoveJustice International and Unbound Now of Houston, TX, assist those who have been rescued from trafficking. Although the government cannot do everything, and it is great that private individuals are stepping up, when will it be enough? With all of the incredible spending being done on the effects of illicit drugs on animal life or sending spoiled billionaires into space, why can’t funds and interest be averted to save those being treated as a commodity in a hideous trade system?
Even one human being put into slavery by these criminals is more than enough. And when educators, celebrities, and even law enforcement officials are involved it is becoming a problem that the government or even the average citizen can treat lightly anymore. We can’t treat this as trivial or best dealt with by a Liam Neeson “B” movie. It is real, it is evil, and if even one person is being trafficked it is again, too many. Until we all come home, the victims must not be forgotten and we must never trivialize this evil.
And yes, our borders do have to be maintained and protected, however, assuming all immigrants are criminals or invaders does not help with the situation. We must understand that our own State Department and the constant fighting going on over immigration are not going to make this problem go away. Although we have to find the best way to properly follow our immigration laws, we must filter it through the lens of compassion to understand that often we don’t hear about the numbers of immigrants who are stolen, abused, and enslaved by traffickers.
We must call on our government to not only deal with how to handle the border but also how to help those trying to escape horrendous living conditions and tyranny and help to ensure they do not leave one kind of shackles just to take on another.