Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
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• Forced labor• Commercial sex trade• <strong>Domestic</strong> servitudeCase management services which help victims access care are in place in some fundedlocati<strong>on</strong>s; in o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs it is our job to find providers willing to assist. Since <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> numbers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>referrals are low, case management services are able to meet <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> need generally. Housingis difficult for all poor people in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country; cross-cultural counseling and mental healthservices are difficult to find for trafficking victims as well as for o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs who need <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m.It is our experience that some housing or shelter space available for trafficking victims isgoing unused. For example, a religious order in sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn California has agreed toprovide shelter for trafficking victims but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir space has g<strong>on</strong>e largely unused. However,while current services seem adequate to assist <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> small numbers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims identified todate, if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> State Department numbers were to be a guide as to how many victims areentering <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> United States and might actually need help, services would fall short.Two situati<strong>on</strong>s we have been active in are both in New York State but with differentoutcomes. In a large case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> forced labor in L<strong>on</strong>g Island, NY more than 80 victims,including children with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir families were removed from a trafficking situati<strong>on</strong>, housed,fed and given immigrati<strong>on</strong> assistance. Services, especially assistance in applying forimmigrati<strong>on</strong> relief, are <strong>on</strong>-going but generally <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims are working legally, getting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>children in school and rebuilding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir lives. Law enforcement efforts and prosecuti<strong>on</strong>have been <strong>on</strong>going and some prosecuti<strong>on</strong>s and plea bargains have resulted to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> best <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>my knowledge.A possible forced labor situati<strong>on</strong> was uncovered in Albany, NY, a little more than a yearago. At first it was thought to have about 95 victims and our agencies were requested tobe ready to assist. Law enforcement activity did take place and news articles reportedthat a trafficking case had been uncovered. Although agencies were ready and availableto provide initial housing, legal assistance and related services, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims wereultimately not referred and may have been removed from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country. Obviously, wecannot know whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r or not <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims would have been able to give informati<strong>on</strong> thatwould have been useful to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law enforcement agencies in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prosecuti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> atrafficking case. But it is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sense <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> our agencies and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs we cooperate with thatrapid removal to detenti<strong>on</strong> and from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country makes it less likely that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> actual nature<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victimizati<strong>on</strong> can be uncovered. Victims cannot be cared for nor <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore bepersuaded to assist law enforcement. A safe period would be useful.For internati<strong>on</strong>al child victims who are unaccompanied by adult relatives, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> referralshave been so few that services have been adequate so far. The children who have beenidentified have been found in:• Commercial sex trade• <strong>Domestic</strong> servitude• Exploitative labor64