Human trafficking in the United States

Human trafficking and the sex slave trade have been associated with underdeveloped and overpopulated countries for years. Contrary to a common belief, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked to the United States for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. An unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor. Many Americans would be surprised to discover that modern-day slavery occurs here in the United States. Furthermore modern-day slavery and the sex trade in the United States has become a $28 billion dollar industry, rivaling drug trafficking.

One woman who is stepping forward to call attention to and take action against the human trafficking problem in Houston, Texas is Linda Geffin. Ms. Geffin is chief of the Harris County Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit. Geffen states, "Houston serves as a destination for victims of trafficking forced into commercial sex, as well as a training ground where women and girls are shipped to other destinations throughout the U.S. and that 30 percent of calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline come from Texas.

Currently all eyes are on Texas because of this week’s Super Bowl which is expected to draw plenty of sex workers. This makes a good platform to bring attention to the reality of modern-day slavery but to be clear, human trafficking and the sex slave trade are far from exclusive to the state of Texas. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories.

Who are the human beings that are kidnapped and forced to work as slaves and where do they come from? This answer may be somewhat surprising. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. Although many of the young women and children (both girls and boys) are brought to the United States from underdeveloped countries, just as many of the girls and boys are U.S. citizens, born and raised on U.S. soil. Many of the U.S. children are runaways. As for the children brought to the United States from other countries, they are promised legitimate jobs and a better life for their families and themselves.

An organization that is fighting modern slavery in the United States is the Polaris Project. Named after the North Star that guided slaves towards freedom along the Underground Railroad. The Polaris Project has been combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002. The organization serves both U.S. citizens and foreign national victims, including men, women, and children. Anyone can call their hotline free and anonymously to give a tip or to receive help at (888) 373-7888. If you wish to learn about how you can get involved with the Polaris Project, please visit their website by clicking here.