HOUSTON IS A HOTSPOT
FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Human trafficking PSA, courtesy of ICE
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, hidden in plain sight.
It is the second largest illegal industry, after drug trafficking.
Human trafficking is defined as obtaining a person by means of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of a commercial sex act or labor services.
Houston is a hotspot:
- It is located on major highways and has several major airports.
- It is a port city.
- It is a major sports venue.
- It is a destination city, like Austin or Dallas and others, that attracts runaway youth.
Citizen Awareness: The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area believes that citizen awareness is a key to better enforcement against traffickers and better access to resources for trafficked victims to restore their lives.
View a special televised discussion exploring Human Trafficking in Houston here. The discussion features Penny Milbouer of the League of Women Voters, Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, Anne Chandler of the Tahirih Justice Center and Constance Rossiter of YMCA International.
A special message from
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia
“Human exploitation is a curse the world has lived with virtually since the beginning. But as the world has become smaller, human trafficking has become an acute, modern problem in cities around the globe such as Houston. At the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, we are fighting this scourge through our Homeland Security Bureau and Human Trafficking Task Force with the Federal Bureau Investigation, and with our Criminal Investigations Bureau. We work and trade information with other federal task forces. Local law enforcement must continue to find innovative ways to battle human trafficking, which is why we launched our mobile phone app iWatchHarrisCounty. Making this app available to members of the public will help them report suspicious activity that may involve Human Trafficking or other types of crime that could be occurring in our communities. I am proud of community members who are suspicious about the many “spas” that are opening up in the Harris County area and are bringing information forward that is allowing us to investigate, make arrests and shut them down! But we need to do more to combat Human Trafficking, which is moving in front of illegal narcotics as a profitable industry. That is why I say to the community – if you see something, say something and visit iwatchharriscounty.com!”
LEARN MORE HERE
How you can help
To report human trafficking, call the toll-free, 24/7 hotline: 1.888.373.7888
SIGNS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
- Is the person accompanied by a controlling person or boss?
- Does the person speak on his or her own behalf?
- Does the person lack control over personal schedule, money, ID?
- Is the person transported to or from work?
- Does the person live and work in the same place?
- Does the person owe a debt to employer/crew leader?
- Is the person unable to leave his or her job?
- Does the person seem afraid, depressed or overly submissive?
- Does the person have bruises or other signs of physical abuse?
Traumatic Bonding
Human trafficking inflicts physical and psychological damage, including “traumatic bonding,” which is “a form of coercive control in which the perpetrator instills in the victim fear as well as gratitude for being allowed to live.”–from Sex Trafficking Fact Sheet, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families