The Horrors and Statistics on Human Trafficking in the United States

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Recommended: Implications of globalization on human trafficking

Situation: Every year in the United States, there are an estimated 14,000- 17,500 people trafficked across our boarders. The issues of international human trafficking have only recently been brought to light as an increasing problem within the United States. The department of homeland security, which consists of many branches such as Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Coast Guard, are some of the top combating agencies against human trafficking. With the rise of the amount of victims estimated to be trafficked into the U.S each year, there is much more that needs to be done in order to better address the issue.

Justification/ Need For Action: According to a report in 2005, it was estimated that between 14,500- 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S each year with 90% of them being women or children. Due to few arrests and recovery of human trafficking victims, there is actually no true number for how many victims are found and reported to federal government agencies for statistical purposes (Polaris Project). This is astonishing because if the actual number of rescued victims cannot compare to the estimated amount, the response that law enforcement gives is still not enough. The main issue for few numbers of rescued victims is not only the discrete nature of the crime, but also the lack of law enforcement officers that can stop the crime in the U.S as well as international enforcement against it. Currently, the main law enforcement agencies that focus on human trafficking are the U.S Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (DHS Human Trafficking). Between the three agencies, there are approximately one hundred thousand employees working in ...

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...t of rescued victims of human trafficking and if the number rises closer to the estimated amount, this would show effectiveness within the proposal as well.

Works Cited

Frittelli, J. (2005, May 27). Port and Maritime Security: Background and Issues For
Congress. .Retrieved April 30, 2014, from https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL31733.pdf Human Trafficking FAQ's. (n.d.). . Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/human-trafficking-faqs#How many human trafficking victims are there in the United States?

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Human Trafficking. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from https://www.dhs.gov/topic/human-trafficking UNODC Report on Human Trafficking Exposes Modern Form of Slavery. (n.d.). .
Retrieved April 30, 2014, from https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html

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