A recent panel discussion on human trafficking showed the most vulnerable in the United States are at risk. By addressing those vulnerabilities, including drug dependency, homelessness, and lack of strong family and social support, the human trafficking crisis could be solved, the panel concluded.
The discussion, titled "Modern Slavery Human Trafficking in Our Immigration & Foster Care Systems," was hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and included experts from the TPPF and a former Immigration Customs Enforcement official. They all discussed the complex issue of human trafficking in the United States and in Texas and ways to combat the issue.
Thomas Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said that the Trump administration "has made unprecedented success on our southern border." He said Trump has done more "to secure the border and get the illegal immigration numbers down." Homan said that "Congress hasn't helped him one bit. Not once."
In addition, Homan said that 400 miles of the wall have been built or refurbished and the numbers had been driven down. However, he said the numbers have risen in the past two months due to what he termed the "Biden effect" which he said has already emboldened immigrants to enter the country illegally and the cartels who realize they can cross the border if Biden wins the presidency. He also mentioned 100 people who recently tried to cross the border and tested positive for COVID-19.
"But if Biden becomes president, we lose the border," Homan said, adding that losing the border means more immigrants crossing the border illegally and more trafficking victims in the United States.
Ken Oliver, senior director of Engagement & Right on Immigration for TPPF, when asked what proportion of overall trafficking victims in the U.S. are residing here illegally said, "we know it's too many and too high; it could be very close to majority... ."
"Defend the border and save lives. The fact is that people pay thousands of dollars to smugglers to get into the country and that debt bondage makes them vulnerable to human trafficking," Oliver said. "Then they have to work off that debt. And they, you know, we hear a lot about the sexual trafficking but really the labor trafficking is where a lot of the migrant labor is vulnerable... ."
Nikki Pressley, a policy analyst for TPPF, told the Lone Star Standard, "Human trafficking is very complex. It primarily occurs when an individual or group exploits and preys upon someone’s pre-existing vulnerabilities--such as a migrant crossing the border, a person experiencing homelessness with a drug dependency, or a child in foster care that is lacking strong familial and social supports.
"It’s critical to understand that this is often overlooked within our own neighborhoods and communities. The important distinction that makes it trafficking is when the abuser is using force, fraud or coercion to manipulate their victim into these acts for the abuser’s own financial gain."
The two broader types of human trafficking, Pressley said, are sex and labor trafficking, "each manifesting in our communities in various ways," she added. "Sex trafficking can look like outdoor solicitation, escort services, or online exploitation. Labor trafficking manifests in multiple industries, including agriculture, construction and food service. However, it can also include domestic servitude or peddling and begging. Some industries can include both forced labor and sex trafficking, such as the illicit massage industry."
In order to decrease those who become victims, Pressley said it is crucial to prevent the vulnerabilities that traffickers prey on.
"This can be done through multiple avenues, such as strategic public-private partnerships, targeted community awareness campaigns that focus on both forms of trafficking, and disincentivizing unsafe migration through immigration reform," Pressley said. "A shift in public perception surrounding human trafficking is critical to helping identify victims and intervene. There is no single profile for a human trafficking victim, and no community is immune to this exploitative industry."
Once a victim of trafficking is freed, there are numerous protections in place.
"Within Texas we have various protections such as the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system that automatically notifies survivors of any changes to an arrestee," Pressley said. "Additionally, survivors can apply for benefits from the Crime Victims’ Compensation program through the Office of the Attorney General."
