Human Trafficking in the
United States 101 & Data Issues.
1
ANCHALEE (JOY) PANIGABUTRA-ROBERTS
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
METADATA & MULTICULTURAL SERVICES
LIBRARIAN/
WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES LIBRARY
LIAISON & FACULTY
AROBERTS4 AT UNL DOT EDU
10-07-2011

Overview
2
 Introduction
 Human trafficking: legal definitions and types of
HT
 Examples of cases in the U.S.
 Data: How big is the problem?
 U.S. (federal and state, including Nebraska‟s)
responses
 Resources
 „Dying to Leave‟ PBS video clips
 Q&A

Human Trafficking
3
 International/cross-
 Domestic (urban
border trafficking
migration, state-to-state
migration)

Human Trafficking.
4
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE MEDIA
ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HUMAN TRAFFICKING YOU LEARNED BEFORE
THE MEETING?

Human Trafficking: Definitions.
5
 U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons (Palermo Protocol), 2000.
 U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as
amended (TVPA).

U.N.’s Palermo Protocol : definition.
6
Trafficking in persons - defined as:
“…the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of
persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of
coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of
power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a
person having control over another person, for the purpose of
exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the
exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual
exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices
similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs; …”
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons … United
Nations. 2000.
http://www.uncjin.org/Documents/Conventions/dcatoc/final_documents_2/con
vention_%20traff_eng.pdf

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA),
as amended (1).
7
 The Trafficking Victims Protection Act defines "severe forms of
trafficking in persons" as:
 (a) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force,
fraud, or coercion, or in which the person is induced to perform such an
act has not attained 18 years of age; or
 (b) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining
of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud,
or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary
servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.
**Note: U.S. excludes organ trafficking in its definition. **

William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act 2008 (2)
8
 Foci on forced labor and child labor
(international).
 Domestic workers and other nonimmigrants
(in the U.S. ~ i.e. U.S. citizens and residents).
 More data and research.
 Information on the U.S. Laws on Trafficking in Persons:
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/laws/index.htm

Major types of Human Trafficking.
9
 *Sex trafficking (all genders, adults and children)
 *Labor trafficking (or, forced labor, including domestic
servitude)
 Servile marriages
 Organ trafficking (see the ppt note area).
 See also types of human trafficking in U.S. Dept. of
State’s Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report)
(2011):
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2011/164220.ht
m

Examples of Cases in the U.S.
10
 Domestic workers, diplomats,
and diplomatic immunity (posted in Washington Diplomat
archive, February 2010): http://bit.ly/reSVs6
 ACLU‟s lawsuit & anti-trafficking laws addressed the problem.
 Focusing on the workers‟ rights (A-3 visas – household employees of
the diplomats; G-5 visas – employees of international agencies (UN,
etc.), B-1 visas – all business categories)
 http://www.blog.polarisproject.org/?p=377
 National Domestic Workers Alliance. Campaigns (NY, CA,
ILO, etc.) http://www.domesticworkers.org/campaigns
 NY Domestic Workers Bill of Rights:
http://domesticworkersunited.org/rightsandresources.php

11
“Police reports from
Duluth showed that Native
girls were being lured off
reservations, taken onto
ships in port, beaten, and
gang-raped. Tribal
advocates in South Dakota
and Minnesota had also
begun raising red flags,
reporting that Native girls
were being trafficked into
prostitution, pornography,
and strip shows over state
lines and internationally to
Mexico. In Canada,
research studies were
consistently finding that
Canada‟s indigenous
women and girls are hugely
over-represented in the sex
trade. One report described
Canadian Aboriginal and
American Indian youth as
being at greater risk than
any other youth for sexual
exploitation and Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center’s
trafficking.” – MIWRC Shattered Hearts Report (2009) @
(2009, p. 2).
http://www.miwrc.org/about-us-section-
shattered-hearts-report

From the recent FBI investigations
(labor trafficking I):
12
 Global Horizon and Thai migrant farm workers:
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/january/tr
afficking_012811

From the recent FBI investigations
(labor trafficking II)
13
 Forced labor case of Eastern European women
forced to work as exotic dancers in Detroit-area club:
http://www.fbi.gov/detroit/press-
releases/2011/final-defendant-pleads-guilty-to-his-
role-in-international-conspiracy-involving-the-
forced-labor-of-eastern-european-women-in-detroit-
area-exotic-dance-clubs

Cases involving Nebraskans
(sex trafficking).
14
 Sex trafficking case in Omaha, NE (Omaha FBI:
Innocence Lost Task Force – 2-7-11)
http://www.ketv.com/news/26773902/detail.html
 A 15-year old girl was enticed and coerced to perform sex acts with
others for money.
 First Iowan sentenced for “Human Trafficking” (Iowa
Attorney General – 12-22-08): http://1.usa.gov/opGWpC
 In 2007, two Nebraska runaway girls were recruited and harbored
-- age 15 and 16 at the time -- for the purpose of commercial sexual
activity, including prostitution and performing at strip clubs.
 Case information:
http://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/Pages/CaseDisp
.aspx?caseID=458

STATISTICS FROM THE FIELD*
• Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in
the world. Traffickers reap $32-36 billion in profits by using force, fraud
or coercion to rob victims of their freedom through labor or commercial
sex.
• At the one end of the continuum of exploitation, the United Nations
estimates that 12 million people are exploited worldwide for forced labor
and sexual exploitation.
• On the other end of the continuum, the U.S. government estimates 2 to 4
million people are trafficked annually.
• Experts at Northeastern University estimated that there are a minimum
of approximately 5,100 to 60,500 people trafficked into and within the
U.S. each year.
• An estimated 100,000 children at risk of exploitation in prostitution
within the U.S. each year -- a brutal form of human trafficking.
*New slide from Polaris Project – UNL Human Trafficking Conference 2011

Global Law Enforcement Data: 2011 TIP Report.
16

Crime Statistics (FY 2008).
17
Innocence Lost National
U.S.‟s Prosecution (FY 2008). Initiative (FY2008)
 183 investigations.  486 arrests
 Charged 82 individuals  148 convictions
 Obtained 77 convictions  At the state and federal level
 In 40 human trafficking  Recovery of 245 children
cases (13 labor trafficking &
27 sex trafficking)
 TVPA – sentenced up to 20
42 states with anti-trafficking
years‟ imprisonment/victim. laws (as of April 2009)
 Average sentence in FY2008
= 9.3 yrs. Federal budget (FY2008):
 $23 million.
Source: U.S. Dept. of State: Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 (p.57)

Crime Statistics (FY 2010).
18
 “The lack of uniform
U.S.‟s Prosecution (FY 2010).
nationwide data
 Charged 181 individuals
collection remained an
 Obtained 141 convictions
impediment to
 103 HT prosecutions (32 LT;
71 ST)
compiling fully
 TVPA – sentenced up to 20
accurate statistics.”
 “.. the Federal Bureau of
years’
Investigation (FBI) to
imprisonment/victim. incorporate human
 Average sentence in FY2010 trafficking offenses in the
= 11.8 yrs. annual statistics collected
 (3 months to 54 yrs.) from police forces nationwide;
development of technology to
implement this mandate was
underway … collection will
begin in early 2013.”
Source: U.S. Dept. of State: Trafficking in Persons Report 2011, p. 373.

19

Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking
Incidents, 2008-2010: Highlights (2011, p.1)*
20
 Federally-funded HT task forces opened 2,515 suspected
incidents of HT for investigation, Jan. 2008-June 2010.
 82% = sex trafficking (1,200+ adults; 1,000+ children)
 11% = labor trafficking
 7% = unknown trafficking type
 **Fed. Agencies – more likely to lead labor trafficking
investigations (29%) than sex trafficking investigations
(7%)
 *The report can be found @ http://www.humantrafficking.neu.edu
 **Example of biases in the data, based on how cases were investigated.

KEY NATIONAL STATISTICS*
12/7/2007 – 8/31/2011
Total number of potential victims referenced in calls: 4,904
Number of total calls: 36,767
Languages: English 88%; Spanish 11%; Other 1%
Top call volume states: CA, TX, FL, IL, NY
Most frequently reported: Domestic pimp control trafficking/Domestic servitude
Citizenship/Nationality Type of Trafficking Age of Potential Victim
Foreign Nationals: 37% Sex: 60.1% Adults: 49%
Labor: 23.6%
US Citizens/LPRs: 29% Minors: 25%
Sex and Labor: 3%
Citizenship/Nationality Age Unknown: 26%
Unknown: 34% Other: 11.3%
*New slide from Polaris Project – UNL Human Trafficking Conference 2011

U.S. Domestic Responses:
22
U.S. Federal Government Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/rescue_restore/fed_efforts.html
Center for Women Policy Studies.
U.S. PACT. Fact Sheet on State Laws (including Nebraska) – as of Feb.
2011
http://www.centerwomenpolicy.org/programs/trafficking/documents
/FactSheetonStateAntiTraffickingLawsFebruary2011.pdf
 As of February 2011, 43 states including Nebraska, enacted laws to
make trafficking a state felony offense.
 More details on state laws:
https://www.ovcttac.gov/TaskForceGuide/EGuide/Default.aspx

National Hotline to Report HT
23
1-888-3737-888
NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING
RESOURCE CENTER:
HTTP://WWW.POLARISPROJECT.ORG
/WHAT-WE-DO/NATIONAL-HUMAN-
TRAFFICKING-HOTLINE/THE-
NHTRC/OVERVIEW
STATE COALITIONS:
HTTP://WWW.ACF.HHS.GOV/TRAFFICKING/

24

Nebraska‟s Responses.
25
 Anti-trafficking law (2006):
http://www.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/99/PDF/Slip/LB1
086.pdf
 (no enforcement)
 Attorney General Report (2006).
 No agencies collecting data on human trafficking to be reported
to the Attorney General Office (as of 2006).
 The pilot program proposed by Dept. of Health & Human
Services to assist prostitution-related victims (education and
treatment) was denied funding by the governor.

Nebraska - Recently Proposed Bills.
26
 LB443 (to regulate the adult and sexually oriented
business):
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?
DocumentID=6018 (4-14-10 – Indefinitely postponed)
 LB444 (to regulate/license escort services):
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?Docum
entID=6017 ) (2-2-10 – indefinitely postponed)
 LR 243 Interim study to examine the extent of human
trafficking in Nebraska in connection with labor and sex
trafficking (Senator Amanda McGill)

Polaris Project State Ratings Map 2011
27

NEBRASKA STATUS REPORT*
• Laws: 4 of 10 on Polaris Project State Ratings
– Sex trafficking 28-830
– Labor Trafficking 28-830, 28-831
– Investigative Tools 28-1354
– Lower Burden of Proof for Sex Trafficking of Minors
• Legislation in the 2011-2012 Session
– LB 513: Escort Services Accountability and Permit Act
• Requires a permit to operate an escort agency and/or to work as an escort
• Makes it unlawful to advertise as an escort or escort agency without a permit
– LB 689: Provisions relating to human trafficking
• Proposed amendments to 28-830 to enhance services and protections for victims
• Adds abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process into the definition
of trafficking
– LR 243: Interim Study
• Study to examine the extent of human trafficking in Nebraska in connection with
labor and sex trafficking
• *New slide from Polaris Project’s presentation at UNL Human Trafficking Conference
2011.

International Human Trafficking Resources:
29
 UN GIFT – Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking:
http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/
 Human Rights Watch. Trafficking of Women and Girls:
http://www.hrw.org/category/topic/women%E2%80%9
9s-rights/trafficking-women-and-girls
 International Organization for Migration. Counter-
Trafficking: http://www.iom.int/jahia/page748.html
 International Labor Organization.
 Topics: Forced labor, child labor, domestic workers, etc.
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/lang--en/index.htm
 Prevention of Human Trafficking in the Mekong Region.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/bangkok/child/traffi
cking/index.htm

U.S. Human Trafficking Data Sources.
30
 U.S. Dept. of State. Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons. Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
Reports:
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/index.htm
 National Institute of Justice. Human Trafficking:
http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/crime/human-
trafficking/welcome.htm
 Polaris Project: http://www.polarisproject.org/
 Human Trafficking Data Reporting and Collection
Project: http://www.humantrafficking.neu.edu/
 Human Trafficking Database:
http://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/P
ages/searchdatabase.aspx

Human Trafficking Database (cont.): Metadata.
31
The cases have been coded using specific fields. Although you may search for
cases using any word or term, the following fields may help to guide your
search:
 case name
 defendant name
 gender of defendant(s) (male, female, female and male)
 victim's country of origin
 age of victim(s) (adult, minor, adult and minor)
 gender of victim(s) (male, female, female and male)
 type of industry (labor, sex, labor and sex)
 type of case (civil or criminal)
 type of trial (judge or jury)
 year of arrest or verdict (e.g., 2008)
 type of court (state or federal)
 state where the trial occurred
 criminal or civil charge(s) (e.g., money laundering)

Limits by Industry.
32
 Escort Service/Brothel
 Pornography
 Commercial Sexual Exploitation/Prostitution
 Commercial Sexual Exploitation/Prostitution (johns/other buyers)
 Strip Club
 Massage Parlor
 Other Sex Industry
 Agricultural Industry
 Carnival Industry
 Clothing/Garment Industry
 Construction Industry
 Domestic Servant
 Factory Worker
 Hair/Nail Salon
 Nightclub Industry
 Peddling/Begging Rings
 Restaurant/Bar Industry
 Traveling Sales Crew

Example: State v. Russell
33
CASE NAME: State v. Russell
ALL PLAINTIFFS: State of Iowa  SUMMARY:Defendant asked the victims,
ALL DEFENDANTS: Leonard Ray Russell who were ages 15 and 16 and had run from a
CITATION: 2010 Iowa App. LEXIS 145 juvenile home to a hotel in Omaha, if they
DOCKET NUMBER: No. 9-906 / 08-2034
SOURCE: Lexis Search, News Article
wanted to take a road-trip with him and his
TYPE OF CASE: Criminal
female friend. The defendant acknowledged
TYPE OF TRIAL: Jury that the girls would have to make money on
TRIAL JUDGE(S):Hon. Edward A. Jacobson the way. During the road-trip, the girls were
YEAR OF ARREST:2009 told they would have to engage in
YEAR OF VERDICT:2010 prostitution at a strip club in Iowa to make
TYPE OF COURT:State money. For one month, the girls were
STATE:Iowa prostitutes at the strip club. Defendant then
STATE COUNTY:Crawford asked the girls if they wanted to continue
AGE OF VICTIM(S):Minor their work in Washington, D.C. for
NUMBER OF VICTIMS: 2 defendant's cousin or stay in Iowa to work at
GENDER OF VICTIM(S):Female the strip club. One of the girls chose to go to
VICTIM'S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:United States Washington, D.C.; the other stayed in Iowa.
WAS VICTIM CHARGED WITH A CRIME: No At one time, Russell or his female friend
………………. placed an advertisement on Craig's list,
picturing the two girls soliciting future
"exotic services" work.
 Approval Status:Approved
http://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/Pages/CaseDisp.aspx?caseID=458

UNL Libraries Resources.
34
 A catalog of websites created by Joy:
http://del.icio.us/aproberts
 Worldwide resources (books, media, etc., plus
journal articles on the topic):
http://worldcat.org/search?q=human+trafficking
 UNL Interdisciplinary Conference on Human
Trafficking:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/humantrafficking/

Books on Human Trafficking.
35

Dying to Leave (PBS)
36
HTTP://GO.UNL.EDU/FKN
(PTS. 6-8 (APPROX. 20 MIN.)

Thank YOU!
37
QUESTIONS?