Human Trafficking in the United States
Introduction
Human trafficking is one of the forms of natural rights violation since the victims are subjected to cruel activities, including forced labor. The crime has its roots in the slave trade that started in the early 19th century. During the colonial period in the U.S., many Africans were trafficked to work in the plantations belonging to the Whites. As American society develops, the act has taken a new trajectory. Consequently, it has become difficult to detect human trafficking in the U.S. However, many innocent people continue to suffer at the hands of human traffickers. Hostility by the traffickers, fear of law enforcement by the victims, poor legal mechanisms, and corruption have made it difficult to detect human trafficking in the U.S.
Human Trafficking Analysis
Human Trafficking History
The issue of human trafficking is multifaceted, with a quite controversial historical background. In the 1900s, people from developing countries were transported to different Western countries for forced and cheap labor (Jensen). Slavery subjected the victims to forced labor and engagement in activities that could be termed immoral. For instance, the majority of enslaved women were forced into prostitution which is against standard moral codes (Pietersen). Although Constitutional and further developments in human rights brought to an end slavery and its associated forced labor, the issue is still common but subtle. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery that involves the illegal transportation of people to other countries (Mishra and Sharma 125). The victims, like slavery, are deceptively or forcefully engaged in sexual exploitation, labor, and any activity that financially benefits perpetrators.
While the number of trafficked persons remains controversial, recent statistics are shocking. It is estimated that about one million individuals are trafficked each year globally (DiRienzo 14). The U.S. is described as one of the largest destinations for victims of sexual exploitation. Although there is no clear-cut definition of human trafficking, the United Nations describes the phenomenon as three-dimensional: sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and the removal of organs (Mishra and Sharma). Countries such as China, Belarus, and Russia are categorized as the worst countries for human trafficking. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Washington DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, and Las Vegas are considered the top city destinations for trafficked persons (Mishra and Sharma 134). The cities are popular for prostitution and economic activities requiring more human resources. Therefore, human trafficking is detrimental to social growth since the victims are engaged in activities that they do not want.
Human Trafficking and Human Rights
Human trafficking involves various activities that contravene the U.S. Constitution and international human rights. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights is fundamental in protecting human dignity, freedom of expression, and the right to life, among others (Utyasheva and Eddleston). Meanwhile, the Bill of Rights under the U.S. Constitution prohibits acts that violate human rights. Such acts include forced labor and exposure to poor working conditions (Utyasheva and Eddleston). Given the murky intention of human trafficking, the victims are subjected to forced labor. Some of the victims are lured into prostitution against their will. Consequently, the victims experience physical and psychological torture. While human trafficking is illegal, the perpetrators are determined to use new tactics that make it difficult to detect it.
Human Trafficking in the U.S.
The U.S. is one of the top destinations for human trafficking, as discussed above. The country is developed, and on-demand for cheap and much human labor. While the U.S. is considered one of the most civilized countries, the issue of human trafficking has been less explored. The country does not recognize the removal of organs in its definition of human trafficking but acknowledges sex and labor trafficking (Utyasheva and Eddleston). Many human trafficking cases in the U.S. go unreported because of various reasons: hostility by offenders, fear of law enforcement, poor legal mechanisms, corruption, and use of ‘legal tactics’ to traffick victims. Therefore, human trafficking in the U.S. is the least detected, jeopardizing the lives of victims.
Why Human Trafficking is Undetected in the U.S.
Hostility by Offenders
Human traffickers adopt various tactics that make the victims fearful. For instance, those trafficked into the U.S. have their passports and travel documents confiscated by the traffickers. Moreover, the victims often live with their masters, who pay almost everything for them (Green). Consequently, the victims are denied the right to choose whom to interact with and what to do. Furthermore, some of the traffickers threaten the victims through physical torture in case they want to report them (Utyasheva and Eddleston). The use of threats and hostile mechanisms makes the victims more vulnerable, living in fear for their lives. The threatened victims have no other option than to remain silent about their predicaments.
Fear Of Law Enforcement
The majority of activities engaged in by the victims of human trafficking are illegal and against the moral codes in the U.S. Statititstcs show that many trafficked individuals engage in the selling of illegal drugs and prostitution. The victims often perceive themselves as criminals and may be arrested in case they want to report to law enforcement officers (Green). Additionally, some of the trafficked individuals have no legal rights to reside or work in the U.S. Consequently, they fear falling victim to deportation and any other punishment associated with illegal entry into the U.S. The increasing fear of law enforcement by the victims of trafficking makes the crime less detected.
Poor Legal Mechanisms
Although the U.S. has formulated legislation against human trafficking, the implementation strategies are poor. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), is the primary legislation against crime (Green). TVPA describes the various forms of human trafficking including commercial sex, slavery, involuntary servitude, peonage, and debt bondage (Green). While the legislation recognizes human trafficking as a punishable crime, the government has failed to put mechanisms that prevent it. For instance, the existing legislation has not been updated in response to the rapid social changes precipitated by technology. Moreover, there is no specific legislation that punishes public officers who collude with human traffickers. The existing gap in the legislation against human trafficking makes it impossible to notice the crime.
Corruption
Human trafficking is a master activity that involves various parties, including law enforcement officers. During the trafficking, the traffickers are involved in illegal activities including the forging of travel documents. Some of the law enforcement officers notice the activities but are bribed. Moreover, some of the victims make it to report their slave masters to the relevant authorities. However, given the vulnerability of the victims, law enforcement officers accept tokens given to them by the offenders (Branscum and Fallik 256). The collaboration between the officers and traffickers leads to doing away with many cases. Increased corruption within the law enforcement systems has led to high cases of human trafficking that go unpunished.
Recommendations
The undetected cases of human trafficking are detrimental to U.S. social and economic development. Although the issue is detrimental, the country can adopt various mechanisms to ensure that the crime is punished and victims are freed. Firstly, the country can amend the existing legislation on human trafficking. Some of the amendments can include tough punishments against law enforcement officers who collude with the traffickers. The amendments can include tough measures against corporations that benefit from human trafficking.
Secondly, public sensitization and awareness of the issue can motivate the public to report instances of human trafficking. The government can run public campaigns through mainstream media, and other relevant social media platforms. Lastly, establishing the human trafficking victims’ report center will encourage the victims to report. The center should adopt mechanisms that protect the victims from any legal action arising from their criminal activities. Moreover, the center should provide the victims with protection against any person who may threaten them. Therefore, human trafficking can be discouraged by encouraging the victims and members of the public to report the cases.
Conclusion
Human trafficking violates fundamental natural rights including human dignity and freedom of expression. The U.S. is among the greatest destination for trafficked victims. Crime started in the late 19th century during the slave trade era. Human trafficking is associated with forced labor, sex exploitation, and other activities prohibited by the U.S. constitution. Corruption, hostility by traffickers, poor legal mechanisms, and fear of law enforcement by the victims have caused the crime to be less detected. The perpetrators use threatening techniques to prevent the victims from reporting them to relevant authorities. Additionally, some of the traffickers collude with law enforcement officers. While the rate of human trafficking is alarming, the U.S. can encourage the reporting of cases.
Works Cited
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Mishra, Dolly, and Saurabh Sharma. “Human Trafficking: A Non-Traditional Security Threat to India.” Nontraditional Security Concerns in India, 2022, pp. 123–146, Web.
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