When most Americans think of human trafficking, they think of third world countries. Countries that are so poor it has become acceptable to sell woman as a means for income. However, that’s not the case. The sad truth is human trafficking happens everywhere, even America, and a quarter of the slaves brought to America end up in Texas (Swartz). In just April of this year, a woman by the name of Medeles, was arrested for bringing illegal and underage girls into Houston, Texas. When testifying against Medeles, victims stated Medeles lured them to Houston under false promises and then forced them into prostitution (Houston Chronicle). This is how the majority of prostitution victims end up in America. Lured under false hope, victims are promised
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Texas is home to much trafficking due to “its many busy interstates highways, international airports, bus stations, the shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, and its shared border with Mexico” (CAR). The shared border between Texas and Mexico is “North America’s number one supply site for young children used in sex and labor trafficking” (CAR). While this border and the many roadway systems Texas has is a huge part of why it is one of the biggest trafficking sites in America, it is not the only reason. Texas has a large population, and with that large population comes many homeless and runaway teens. These teens are living on the street with nothing, making them vulnerable and easy targets for sex trafficking. Many of these homeless teens have no one to care for them, much less people who know they exist. This makes taking them much easier due to the lack of their …show more content…
This is defined by “knowingly traffick[ing] another person with the intent or knowledge that the trafficked person will engage in forced labor or services” (CAR). In hopes of bringing more awareness to this issue, Texas 81st Legislature also passed a state wide task force in the Office of Attorney General in 2009. The new legislation also stated police officers must take a four hour course on the issue of human trafficking (CAR). While these steps have helped Texas with its massive trafficking problem, it has not drastically affected it. European nations have gone above and beyond what America has regarding trafficking laws. They have started “allowing more rigorous legislation; improving measures to raise public awareness, researching crimes and treatment methods, and the developing better victim identification procedures for more protection and improved social services” which is ultimately what Texas should do in the near future
Texas is home to much trafficking due to “its many busy interstates highways, international airports, bus stations, the shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, and its shared border with Mexico” (CAR). The shared border between Texas and Mexico is “North America’s number one supply site for young children used in sex and labor trafficking” (CAR). While this border and the many roadway systems Texas has is a huge part of why it is one of the biggest trafficking sites in America, it is not the only reason. Texas has a large population, and with that large population comes many homeless and runaway teens. These teens are living on the street with nothing, making them vulnerable and easy targets for sex trafficking. Many of these homeless teens have no one to care for them, much less people who know they exist. This makes taking them much easier due to the lack of their …show more content…
This is defined by “knowingly traffick[ing] another person with the intent or knowledge that the trafficked person will engage in forced labor or services” (CAR). In hopes of bringing more awareness to this issue, Texas 81st Legislature also passed a state wide task force in the Office of Attorney General in 2009. The new legislation also stated police officers must take a four hour course on the issue of human trafficking (CAR). While these steps have helped Texas with its massive trafficking problem, it has not drastically affected it. European nations have gone above and beyond what America has regarding trafficking laws. They have started “allowing more rigorous legislation; improving measures to raise public awareness, researching crimes and treatment methods, and the developing better victim identification procedures for more protection and improved social services” which is ultimately what Texas should do in the near future