Illegal Immigrants and Their Link to Human Trafficking in the USA

1. Illegal Immigrants and Their Link to Human Trafficking in the USA

2. How are immigrants tied to trafficking, where are they coming from, and in what numbers?

3. How are Immigrants Tied to Human Trafficking? • People who are Illegally smuggled across the US/Mexico border normally work in very poor conditions, similar to cases of human trafficking • Little to no wage • threat of violence • The illegals can do little to avoid this, because they cannot report to the authorities, or be deported. • How to counter this? • Increase punishment of employers, to reduce the opportunities the illegals have • Clean up immigration system, allowing more people to legally immigrate • Able to get better jobs

4. How Much of This is Going On? • Sources generally agree on how many illegals are being smuggled. • It is estimated that there are between 11-12 million illegal immigrants in the US, as of 2007. • Worldwide, there are approximately 7 million illegal immigrants. • The US has near 5 million of the 7 million. • How to counter this？ • If the immigration system is cleaned up and the border security increased, less people will be illegally in the US. • Meaning less people will be in trafficking situations

5. Where do the Illegal Immigrants Come From?

6. Work Conditions, Labor victims and Law enforcement

7. Work Conditions • Victims of forced labor have reported: • More than thirty people sharing two showers and three toilets. • Lines to use restroom facilities in the mourning were so long that not every one got a chance to use them • Up to 40 people living in the same trailor

8. Mental and Physical Health of Forced Labor Victims • Victims can suffer from mental conditions like post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression • Victims lose a sense of self and they believe that everything that they do must revolve around those who hold them captive. • Many victims need immediate hospitalization and medical care • Victims are not provided with adaquite nutrition resulting in long term illnesses • Victims in fields like agriculture and construction are at risk of facing repetitive strain inguries • Victims almost always experience high levels of trauma and abuse

9. Law Enforcement • The Department of Justice has created a training program for investagators working with the FBI , the immigration and Customs Enforcement, and department of labor to detect forced labor opperations. • The departement of justice has no programs running that trains local law enforcement officers.

10. Undocumented workers in illegal immigration • Forced laborers who are undocumented do not have legal protection, so if they fess up they will likely face deportation • Most illegal immigrants to not speak English very well and are unaware of their rights

11. How the US Views Forced Labor • The US legislation recognizes that forced labor is for the economic gain of an individual • The US and UN both recognize victims of forced labor victims of a crime instead of illegal migrants • The US is more at the front of the fight against forced labor • The US gives victims of severe trafficking immigration status and social services

12. Forced Labor from Human Trafficking

13. Who is responsible, what is happening to combat this, and what you can do

14. “Who is responsible?” • National corporations like Hershey’s are being investigated and questioned about their overseas labor forces • Local syndicates and national crime organizations have been created for the purpose of trafficking and partaking in forced labor • Individual people selling, kidnapping, and buying slaves

15. “What is being done?” • Government agencies cracking down on local traffickers • Companies using forced and/or illegal labor are being investigated and punished • Organizations have been created to help rehabilitate victims of forced labor

16. “What can I do?” • Help raise awareness about forced labor in your community. • Boycott products and services associated with forced/ illegal labor. • support organizations like The Polaris Project by donating or volunteering.

17. Works Cited • "FAIR: Immigration Issue Center Listing of Issues ." FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/issues.html • "Illegal immigration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrants • "Illegal immigration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16665&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007 • "WILLisms.com: Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 334 -- Immigration.."WILLisms.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. http://www.willisms.com/archives/2006/05/trivia_tidbit_o_335.html • http://www.freetheslaves.net/Document.Doc?id=17 site • http://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/slavery/us.pdf site • http://www.buyresponsibly.org/ff.php photo • http://lovingjustwise.com/photo_essay.htmphoto • http://boss.hawaiireporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/human_trafficking_slavery-1.png • http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/fn-latino/entertainment/396/223/childlaborforce.jpg • http://www.google.com/imgres?q=polaris+project&num=10&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1173&bih=636&tbm=isch&tbnid=IXZQf1N1sYeS-M:&imgrefurl=http://changebydoing.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/polaris-project%25E2%2580%2594fighting-slavery-today/&docid=8aDm5YTS4jVwoM&imgurl=http://changebydoing.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/13048.jpg&w=519&h=374&ei=UD-oTsSSGYiasgLzxfy0Dw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=177&sig=105558617749856884144&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=101&ty=52