Currently hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in labor trafficking situations with numbers escalating over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traffickers rely on their victims being unable to seek support or assistance and the general public not knowing the signs or being able to intervene on victims’ behalf.
Labor trafficking. Domestic work. Victimized domestic workers often live in the homes of their employers, their movements are restricted and the threat of arrest or deportation keeps them from escaping as they are generally foreign nationals. Many are brought to the U.S. by employers promising a better life, only to find themselves subjected to forced labor, denied wages, and threatened with deportation. US citizens and residents are also victims within this category. Generally, they are providing services such as nannying, elder care, and housekeeping for wealthy families. Their passports and identification are confiscated, their often verbal contracts are violated and they can work long, unpredictable hours for little to no pay. Victims can also experience wage theft, sexual harassment, and verbal abuse. The nature of domestic work is often undervalued and under-regulated by the U.S. government. As a result, domestic workers often endure horrific abuses that go unchecked.
Labor trafficking. Agriculture. Labor trafficking victims in the agricultural industry often travel across the country to find seasonal work in rural or remote locations. Men, women, and children as young as 5 have been found to be trafficked at nearly every level of the industry. Particularly vulnerable are undocumented immigrants and holders of temporary H-2A or H-2B work visas. Watch this video – learn the signs to save lives!
Labor Trafficking. Cleaning services. Service based labor trafficking victims specifically in the cleaning service industry are forced to work for the benefit of their employer, who often holds their documents if the victim is not a US citizen. They are often asked to use dangerous chemicals, have wages confiscated, forced to work off debts and often faced with threats of homelessness.
