Author: Jasmyn J. Tang, MPH
October 17, 2024
After the American Civil War, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery was finally ratified on December 6, 1865, stating that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States.[7,9]
However, slavery never really ended; it just changed form.
Modern-day slavery, or human trafficking, is a crime involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act.[10,11] With the complex nature of trafficking, the number of victims is estimated to be up to 50 million globally.[1,2,5,10] Human trafficking does not require a victim to travel or be transported across local, state, or international borders, occurs in both legal and illegal industries, and does not discriminate based on age, race, gender, origin, ability, or lack thereof, language, or socioeconomic status.[1,10] Over the last five years, 90 million people worldwide have been subjected to some form of modern slavery; 25% being children, 75% being women, and 50% were controlled by debt bondage.[2]
Human Trafficking Indicators: (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Blue Campaign)
The United States of America is a leading destination country for human traffickers and exploited victims, and California has one of the highest rates among all 50 states.[10] In 2023, almost 10,000 human trafficking cases were identified in the U.S., involving up to 17,000 victims.[8] California had the highest percentage of cases (11.73%), followed by Texas (9.36%) and Florida (7.07%).[8]
California has been trying to address this problem for years, regularly collaborating with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. One such collaboration is Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, involving over 95 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. In January 2024, the 10th annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild was conducted throughout California.[4] In total, more than 500 people were arrested, including 40 suspected “sexual traffickers or exploiters” and 271 suspected “sex buyers.”[4] Additionally, over 50 adults and 10 juveniles were rescued during this week-long operation.[4]
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna holding a press conference on the 10th annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild human trafficking operation in California (CBS News)
Police operations often focus on the Figueroa corridor in South L.A., due to its notorious human trafficking history. Along this three-mile stretch of road, which has over 20 churches and five middle and elementary schools, exploitations happen daily.[3] Many traffickers recruit women and children from foster care and group homes, grooming them into prostitution.[3,6] According to LAPD Chief Choi, 84 minors, aged as young as 11 years old, were rescued from the area in the past six months.[3,6]
Concerned about prostitution, residents say it is getting hard for children to play outside “because somebody might be up and down the street naked”.[6] There are more disturbing details. According to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón and L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feinstein Soto, there has been face branding of multiple victims with a trafficker’s moniker and even young girls in various stages of undress.[3]
A map showing a three-and-a-half-mile stretch of road on South Figueroa Street that officials say is a haven for human traffickers in Los Angeles. (KTLA)
Human traffickers are brazen and dangerous, especially in Los Angeles, where it takes place openly without regard for law enforcement. Anyone can be at risk.
Acknowledging the devastation caused, officials in Los Angeles County are partnering with multiple governmental and non-governmental organizations to investigate offenses and prevent future exploitations. The LA Regional Human Trafficking Taskforce is the largest co-located task force in the nation and partners with The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), The United States Department of Justice and the Office of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California (USAO-CDCA), and Saving Innocence. In addition, nonprofits like Saving Innocence, iEmpathize, Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), and Free to Thrive support human trafficking survivors and families and provide places of safety and healing to take the next steps on their journey.
If you suspect anyone being subject to human trafficking, don’t be a bystander and act.
Department of Homeland Security: Blue Campaign
Additional Information
International Labor Organization: Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Human Trafficking Indicators
U.S. Department of State: Fact Sheets for 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report
Glossary
Brazen: Shameless or disrespectful boldness.
Coercion: To achieve by force or threat.
Debt Bondage: When people give themselves into slavery as security against a loan or when they inherit a debt from a relative.
Exploit: To make use of meanly or unfairly for one's own advantage.
Forced Labor: Forced labor occurs when individuals are compelled against their will to provide work or service through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
Human Trafficking: Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.
Moniker: A name or nickname.
Prostitution: Prostitution is the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate sexual activity, in general, with someone who is not a spouse or a friend in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables.
Servitude: A condition in which one lacks liberty especially to determine one's course of action or way of life.
Smuggling: To import or export something in violation.
Sources
Barrick, K., & Pfeffer, R. (2021). Advances in Measurement: A Scoping Review of Prior Human Trafficking Prevalence Studies and Recommendations for Future Research. Journal of Human Trafficking, 10(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2021.1984721
Eryarsoy, E., Topuz, K., & Demiroglu, C. (2023). Disentangling human trafficking types and the identification of pathways to forced labor and sex: An explainable analytics approach. Annals of Operations Research, 335(2), 761–795. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-023-05520-1
DuBose, J. (2024, September 4). This L.A. neighborhood a haven for human trafficking, officials say. KTLA. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/this-los-angeles-neighborhood-a-haven-for-human-trafficking-officials-say/
Fioresi, D. (2024, January 31). More than 500 arrested during statewide human trafficking operation. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/more-than-500-arrested-during-statewide-human-trafficking-operation/
Human trafficking statistics and facts in 2024. OUR Rescue. (2024, January 12). https://ourrescue.org/education/research-and-trends/human-trafficking-statistics?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgL-3BhDnARIsAL6KZ6_6SxWdb3nys8pe4IYxvPNmZBYaCdcKzckKzikg2xdiz4xISKQUUecaAv6aEALw_wcB
Jeong, H., & Frias, A. (2024, September 4). “Ground Zero for Human Trafficking.” Feds, Los Angeles team up to crack down on Figueroa Corridor. NBC Los Angeles. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/figueroa-corridor-human-trafficking-south-los-angeles/3503087/
National Archives and Records Administration. (2022, May 10). 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment#:~:text=Passed%20by%20Congress%20on%20January,slavery%20in%20the%20United%20States.
National Statistics. National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2023). https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics
Weber, J. L., & Hassler, W. W. (2024, September 18). American Civil War. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War
What is Human Trafficking?. State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. (n.d.). https://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking/what-is
What is Human Trafficking?. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2022, September 22). https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking