Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery

The Facts

14,500 to 17,500 persons are trafficked into the United States each year for labor or sexual exploitation.

25% of all human trafficking victims certified in the United States were in Texas.

Texas has become a hub for human trafficking, ranking second only to California.

Check out this interactive survey on Slavery Footprint.

The Warning Signs

Are you or anyone you know.....                                

Unable to leave or come and go as they wish                                
Working excessively long and/or unusual hours                                
Show signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint                                
Not in control of own money, no financial records, bank account or own identification documents                                

 ....if yes, contact 1-888-3737-888 (national)  817-534-0814 (local) for information.

The Reality

In Arlington, Texas, a couple was sentenced on June 4, 2010 by U.S. District Court Judge John H. McBryde for forcing a Nigerian widow to perform domestic labor for them for more than eight years. The Nigerian couple recruited the widow in Nigeria with promises that her six children would be cared for in exchange for her work in the United States. Upon arrival in the United States, the couple confiscated the victim’s passport and never returned it.

For more than eight years, the victim cared for the defendants’ children day and night, cooked and cleaned, with no days off. The couple did not allow the victim out unsupervised, was prohibited from speaking with her children on the phone unsupervised, and was forbidden to make friends. The male perpetrator also sexually assaulted her.

Although the widow was promised that her family would be cared for, her family received a total of about $300 over the eight years. The victim was eventually rescued by a community member and the couple was sentenced to serve prison time and ordered to pay $305,957.60 in restitution to the victim.

The Chains

Debt bondage & financial obligations
Honor-bound to repay debt
Isolation from the public - limiting contact with outsiders and making sure that any contact is monitored or superficial in nature
Isolation from family members and members of their ethnic and religious community
Confiscation of passports, visas and/or identification documents
Use or threat of violence toward victims and/or families of victims
The threat of shaming victims by exposing circumstances to family
Telling victims they will be imprisoned or deported for immigration violations if they contact authorities
Control of the victims' money, e.g., holding their money for "safe-keeping"
Kept under lock and key, or otherwise physically restrained