How Does Human Trafficking Still Exist

Human Trafficking in the United States: Why it still Exists Slavery may have been abolished on paper in 1865 when the 13th Amendment was passed, but practices of exploitation, violation and harassment are still rampant amongst many occupations in the country. This “modern day slavery” is known as human trafficking and consequently makes up for a large amount of the American economy. In the International Labor Organization (ILO) report , Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labor it confirms that only two thirds of the profits made from human trafficking amount to USD $99 million per year (15).
Further, data that was issued in the same report victims of human trafficking are; women and girls, primarily in commercial sexual exploitation
and domestic work, while men and boys are usually forced into economic exploitation in agriculture and construction (1). It is also important to note that in San Diego County alone, 27% of landscaping employees, 36% of janitorial or cleaning employees and 35% of construction workers have experienced a labor trafficking violation (National Institute of Justice 2). The report by the National Institute of Justice also claims, in 2013 study, that 30% of migrant workers in San Diego have experienced some form of labor trafficking (1). For a matter that was meant to be abolished a century and a half ago it seems as though nothing was put in place to stop it. One hundred and fifty two years later and - according to Polaris, a human trafficking hotline - eleven federal laws have been implemented to combat human trafficking and human trafficking is still prominent. Why is it that despite obvious federal efforts and a shift in the people’s moral that there is still human trafficking? The problem lies within the action plan that has been made to end human trafficking.
In other words when approaching this issue the US has made attempts to try and stop human trafficking across the country,but has made little efforts to try and address the reasons that provoke and encourage human trafficking. According to a Polaris Press Release. 2014 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws, In the year of 2014, over 37 states passed legislation to combat human trafficking. Of these 37 states; Delaware, New Jersey, and Colorado, all have been recognized as “the most improved” states with laws against human trafficking. But, even though progress has been made in legislation, there is still a widespread amount of states that don't provide regulations that would prevent the issue of human trafficking first
hand.
Legislation is there, but it is not guaranteed that it will be imposed or that there aren't any loopholes in the policy. There needs “to be change in policy at the heart of problem” as Restaurants Occupation Center United (ROCU) co-founder Saru Jayaramannot stated, in the ROC United study, Behind the Kitchen Door: A Multi-site Study of the Restaurant Industry (1).
The attempts that have been made to try and end human trafficking has not worked to eliminate this “modern day slavery.” Human trafficking is still viable due to the faulty labor standards in the resturant/ domestic working industries, gaps in screenings when identifying victims, and the debate over sex worker identification. Overtime, there has been poor working standards in the restaurant industry as well as unjust policies for domestic workers. In a survey conducted by Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROCU), 46.3% of workers experienced some form of overtime violations. It is also important to note that in the same study 87% of employees reported that they do not have paid sick days (1). Many restaurant careers have a tip based minimum wage, restaurant employees often have to work overtime to make a livable wage. This creates a hostile schedule that forces employees to work more hours than actually allowed. According to Rachel Homer a student at Harvard Law School and author on of the On Labor website, National Labor Relations Act does not allow domestic workers to unionize (2). Many domestic workers such as babysitter, caregivers, and live- in domestic workers are mistreated but cannot speak up. They are stirpped of the right to organize and receive the treatment of other employees. This results in having more cases of trafficking unsolved or even unmentioned. In some cases victims of labor and sex trafficking are often not even able to receive the necessary help they need due to their status.
When victims of trafficking are being helped by the law, their citizen status often intervenes and any opportunity of rescue is being taken away. Caroline Reilly, a PBS journalist found a 2014 research portfolio from the Urban Institute, cases in which human trafficking victims were misplaced by being put in detention centers or jail instead of being recorded as trafficked individuals. Often undocumented immigrants make up the majority of the population that is being trafficked. If authorities view victims are undocumented immigrants before a trafficked individual then there will be no end to human trafficking. Instead trafficker will continue to prey on immigrants for exploited
labor. `The law isn't the only thing that makes it difficult for those who are both victims and undocumented. There is also difficulty in tracking down those who are in need of rescue due to their citizenship status. In a Trafficking Persons Report (2007) the U.S. Department of State claimed that there is 14,500 to 17,500 people who are trafficked in the United States each year and approximately 50,000 victims of trafficking are present in the country at any given time. While exact figures are hard to calculate, the overlap between undocumented immigration and human trafficking is thought to be significant. This is due to most demographics being hidden populations, a hidden population is a population with no sampling frame. This normally means that this demographic is threatened by public acknowledgement. The fact that trafficked and immigrant populations create an overlap causes challenges for a government. The U.S government strives to combat undocumented immigrants while attempting to identify and help victims of human trafficking. The struggle behind configuring statistics and creating system that separates the two, victims are often mistrailed. As of today the largest number of human trafficking cases that are reported are for sex trafficking cases, but how to decide who is labeled as a victim is almost just as important as the support these victims receive how to is a major subject of debate in the U.S. right now. In her book the Whore Diaries (a series), Tara Burns,wrote about having to support herself through “survival sex” while being homeless, due to to a “troubling” foster care system.Burns says that anti-trafficking laws negatively impacted her as well as other homeless youth . She stated that “that the current anti-trafficking regime in many American cities means those involved in sex work in any capacity are often viewed as victims of trafficking” (32). Burns points out a very important issue about identifying sex trafficked individuals. The Health World Net report, Human Trafficking claims that in many cases around the country those who are participate sex work are often labeled as victims of trafficking, leaving actual victims unrecognizable (1). Organizations such as Sex Workers Project have said that, “by moving away from the criminalization of sex work and instead towards harm reduction is paramount to more successfully addressing sex trafficking.” If authorities and regulations sever away from criminalizing sex work then the line between those who are involved in sex work and those who are forced to take part in it will be more clear. Some might argue that the fight against human trafficking in the US is making progress due to the focus and improvement of policy against it. In a statement release made by President Obama on January 5, 2016, our former president spoke of funding anti-human trafficking efforts and funding. The White House Fact Sheet states the president's efforts to bring leaders of government to join him in combating human trafficking. It gives Obama's agenda on tackling human trafficking in the nation and what that means for our future. He stated, “ We look forward to announcing in 2016 the Phase II ACTeam sites through a competitive, nationwide selection process.” He also spoke of financial efforts by saying,“In 2015, the Administration announced an unprecedented $28 million from DOJ and HHS in funding for comprehensive services for victims of human trafficking in the United States.” Despite all of the national efforts and funding made to stop human trafficking in the United States, no funding or efforts have been made to prevent the issue from occurring. There will be no end to human trafficking if the issue isn't tackled at the source.