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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The Federally funded system <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> care for unaccompanied refugee children has generallybeen able to adapt to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> trafficked children. Research and <strong>on</strong> going training isneeded since this is a new populati<strong>on</strong>; much remains to be learned. However, outcomesare generally good. It is easier to provide stellar services to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 47 unaccompaniedtrafficked children who have been identified during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> last four years than to serve <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>possible thousands who may be arriving every year if we are to accept State Departmentestimates.The problem for internati<strong>on</strong>al child victims is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reluctance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> law enforcement torequest services for possible victims and for HHS reluctance to <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fer services absent sucha request. As children, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are not always able to explain <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir situati<strong>on</strong> or support <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ircase in a way that is understandable or c<strong>on</strong>vincing to a federal law enforcement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficial.Federal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials are sometimes unwilling to request benefits in situati<strong>on</strong>s in which <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ydo not have enough evidence; thus, no case manager or service provider is funded towork with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> child. Therefore, children rescued from possible trafficking situati<strong>on</strong>s suchas bro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ls or bars where prostituti<strong>on</strong> is known to take place are not being determinedeligible for services as trafficking victims, even though <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law specifically exemptschildren from cooperati<strong>on</strong> with law enforcement. They are given a “notice to appear” infr<strong>on</strong>t <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an immigrati<strong>on</strong> judge for probable removal from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country. In some o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rcases, children are denied benefits, live an unstable life in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> care <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> “Good Samaritans”but eventually are given a t-visa. But without <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> funded case management serviceswhich come with determinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> eligibility, it is chancy 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> “GoodSamaritans” who are assisting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m can provide <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> help <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y need before T-visa isissued.In <strong>on</strong>e case, a child was held by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> federal government system for undocumentedchildren. There was some evidence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> trafficking but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> word <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> child was difficultto corroborate; she was not picked up while actually engaged in a commercial sex act andfederal law enforcement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials felt unable to request trafficking benefits. Absent such arequest, HHS did not feel able to <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fer a letter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> eligibility for services despite herattorney’s request. The child was released to her mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r who is seriously ill but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>family was unable to access medical care, food stamps or o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r survival services. Thechild’s attorney believed that trafficking relief was possible and persisted with a T-visaapplicati<strong>on</strong>. Eventually, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> child was granted a T-visa and can now receive serviceswhile in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> care <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a different relative. However, she did not receive services until 7m<strong>on</strong>ths after her case was first known by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> federal government.In ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r fairly recent situati<strong>on</strong>, four children were am<strong>on</strong>g possible trafficking victimspicked up in a raid <strong>on</strong> a bar where prostituti<strong>on</strong> was known to be taking place. A childremoved from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same situati<strong>on</strong> a few m<strong>on</strong>ths ago had been given benefits and is now incare. The children said <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were “just having a snack” <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re and refused to disclose t<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ederal law enforcement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were engaged in commercial sex. One girlhas said “<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y know where my family lives.” While circumstances point to childrencoerced to engage in commercial sex, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> federal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials active in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> investigati<strong>on</strong> feltunable to request benefits from HHS for those children. The children have been enteredinto removal proceedings and may be returned to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir country <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> origin.65