International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Trafficking in the United States

Demographics and Statistics

113: The number of human traffickers the U.S. Department of Justice has charged, convicted, or secured sentences since January 2001. (1)

153: The number of open trafficking investigations initiated by the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. (2)

172: The number of T visa applications approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services as of June 2003 (13 denied; 283 pending). (3)

399: The number of Continued Presence requests granted by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security. (4)

486: The number of certification or eligibility letters issued to adult and minor victims of trafficking (representing 34 countries) by the Department of Health and Human Service/Office of Refugee Resettlement since October 2000. (5)

18,000-20,000: The number of persons trafficked annually into the United States. (6)

200,000+: The number of youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation (including trafficking) within the United States. (7)

800,000-900,0000: The number of persons trafficked across international borders annually. (8)

  1. Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, February 2004
  2. Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, March 2004
  3. Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Assessment of U.S. Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons, August 2003
  4. Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, March 2004
  5. Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, March 2004
  6. Source: U.S. Department of State, 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report
  7. Source: Richard J. Estes and Neil Alan Weiner, The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States , Canada and Mexico , September 2001
  8. Source: U.S. Department of State, 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report

Dynamics

  • Victims are trafficked into the U.S. to work in many different sectors: domestic servitude, garment manufacturing, sweatshop labor, food services industry, agricultural labor, sex industry, hotel industry, construction, forced marriages, begging, and peddling trinkets.
  • Traffickers wear many different faces: members of organized criminal networks, freelancers, relatives, neighbors, friends, village chiefs, community leaders, shop owners, employees (e.g., fraudulent employment, modeling, travel, and matchmaking agencies), diplomats, agricultural business operatives, and more. Traffickers use threats, intimidation and violence, as well as deception and trickery, to force or lure victims to engage in commercial sex acts, services or labor under slavery-like conditions.
  • Trafficking is distinct from smuggling. Smuggling involves the illegal movement of consenting people across a national border for financial or material remuneration. The relationship between the smuggler and the migrant generally ends upon arrival at their destination. Trafficking, on the other hand, involves the ongoing exploitation of victims who are forced to work against their will. Victims of trafficking either never consented to their situation or their initial consent is considered irrelevant due to the coercive, deceptive, or abusive actions of the traffickers. Smuggling also invariably involves crossing a national border, whereas trafficking can occur internally.

Special Considerations for Working with Victims of Trafficking

Trafficking is, by its very nature, unpredictable. Victims can surface in any community or location without warning, numbering anywhere from a few individuals to groups of a hundred victims or more. Unable to foresee when they will be called upon to serve trafficking victims, or what the demands on their resources will be, service providers can face enormous challenges. Moreover, the needs of trafficking victims are often distinct, severe and extensive. Trafficking victims are typically held in slavery-like conditions, imprisoned or restricted, beaten, threatened, sexually assaulted, intimidated, and isolated while forced into prostitution, domestic service, or other labor situation. Exposure to these conditions can give rise to complex medical, psychological, immigration, legal, or social service needs that are not only intensive but also potentially long-term. Security risks can also arise within the trafficking context, as victims are involved in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases. Moreover, victims may face reprisals against themselves or their family members, or fear removal from the U.S. to countries where they can face additional hardships, retribution, or alienation.

No single agency can meet all the needs of trafficking victims. Services must be mobilized and coordinated to respond to the varied logistical, health, psychosocial, vocational, legal, criminal justice, protection, cultural, and linguistic needs of victims of trafficking. Collaboration with law enforcement officials -- e.g., FBI, U.S. Attorneys offices, Justice Department Civil Rights Division/Criminal Section, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Labor Department -- is also critical to ensure that the best interests of trafficking victims are advanced during the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases.