Human trafficking is a crime that robs a person of their human dignity and their right to decent work. Traffickers force or coerce people to perform labor or commercial sexual acts. As captives, trafficked people are customarily denied pay, food and health care and have limited connection with larger society. Human trafficking is one form of modern slavery.
Who are Trafficked People?
Human traffickers target people of any country or culture, adults of all ages, adolescents and even young children. A person may be trafficked across borders or right where they live. Forced migration—having to flee one’s homeland due to war and conflict, poverty, or climate deprivation—increases people’s susceptibility to human trafficking. In fact, the U.S. State Department estimates that 72% of persons trafficked in the U.S. each year are migrants.
Learn more about human trafficking
- Read an article from Sister Brenda Cousins, CSC, who serves as a caseworker with the Trafficking Victims Assistance Program of Catholic Charities, D.C.
- Educate yourself about the signs to watch for and how to get your community involved in eradicating this dehumanizing and criminal operation.
Where Does Human Trafficking Happen?
Human traffickers prey upon people in vulnerable situations anywhere. Trafficking happens around entertainment and sporting events, at tourist destinations, hotels and resorts, in agriculture and other industry, and right in your own neighborhood.
Learn More
These are three bills currently before Congress.
The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R.585)
Speaks to one of the root causes of human trafficking—forced migration. It hopes to mitigate this by giving discrete financial assistance to countries whose citizens are leaving in large numbers. With this financial assistance the U.S. can plant the seeds of sustainable development and long-term solutions that will enable people to flourish in their countries of origin, thus preventing the need for migration.
The Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (H.R.1325)
Would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide employment authorization to eligible asylum applicants thirty days after they applied for asylum, provided they are not in detention and their application has not been determined to be “frivolous.” The current wait times are so long that it puts individuals and families at extreme risk because they have no means of support. It makes them vulnerable to traffickers. This would significantly reduce the vulnerability of asylum seekers and enable them to support themselves and their families.
The Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023
(H.R. 6145 AND S. 3178)
Would make immigration court more child friendly for unaccompanied minors. It would require a child friendly court room with immigration judges and pro-bono lawyers, who are trained in human trafficking and trauma informed care. This legislation will help these children’s courts to identify children who are particularly vulnerable, who have been victims of human trafficking or are at risk of exploitation, and provide a legal setting that is appropriate for children.