Texas Battles Rep as Human Trafficking Hub

categories: Government & Legal Efforts on Human Trafficking, Human Trafficking in the US, Human Trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, International Human Trafficking and Migration

Published August 07, 2009 @ 08:06AM PT

Texas, and especially the border areas of the Rio Grande Valley, have been called a human trafficking hub and the "gateway" of human trafficking into the U.S. Certainly, the Texas-Mexico border is a popular entry point for traffickers smuggling in people from all over Central and South America. But abolitionist Texans are refusing to let their state be further tainted by it's title, and have taken some serious legislative and grassroots action to close the gateway.

Local advocacy group Children At Risk has put forth a number of bills to the state legislature, including:

HB533 created civil liability for human traffickers by providing victims with an avenue to sue traffickers.

HB4009 established a victim assistance program, a statewide human trafficking task force and mandated training for law enforcement agencies to help identify victims.

SB 707 requires sexually-oriented businesses to maintain proper identification records for employees or independent contractors.

HB960 gives municipalities and counties the right to access the National Crime Information Center, to obtain criminal information on people applying for licenses to operate sexually oriented businesses.

HB 3094 created civil liability for operating an illegitimate "massage parlor" in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a fine of $1,000 per violation.

Despite these new tools for law enforcement and social service organizations, the abolitionists of Texas have their work cut out for them. An estimated 17,000 people are brought across the border each year, many of them duped with false promises of jobs that turn into slavery once they reach America. This is one of those cases where the issue of human trafficking does get tied up in the immigration debate and included in the hotly contested policies around border protection and immigration. Trafficking is one peice of a larger issue, but one which deeply affects both the people crossing the border and those who live in Texas and the rest of the U.S.

Immigration aside, however, bravo to Texas for being proactive. It's never easy to admit when you have a problem, especially one as serious as being the gateway to human trafficking into the U.S. But acknowledging the situation has helped Texas take important steps to rectify it.

Hear that traffickers? Don't mess with Texas.

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Comments (4)

Nice to see a "tough on crime" approach on a website notorious for it's "slap on the wrist" mentality. I'm glad Texas is taking these steps.

Posted by Dennis G. on 08/07/2009 @ 12:18PM PT
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This has been going on a long time. In Asian countries the girls are as young as like 10 I believe, there was a special on tv at one time. There will always be underground human traf going on. How do we stop this. The people paying for this type of service needs to stop doing so. People in Asian countries sell their kids for money, it is legal not sure but it happens. boys are most wanted to carry on the name and because it is a male. the age in some asian countries to get married for a girl is 18 and a boy is 21 ridiculous. if the child is born and the parents are not married the kids are not recognized, cant attend school, not listed on the cenusus. sothe kids must be sold or adtopted as we call it only we dont get paid for our kids, that is a black market here in the states. glad i live in the good ol USA.

Posted by Anonymous Anonymous on 08/08/2009 @ 01:23PM PT
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I live here, in the very Rio Grande Valley.

Most of the human trafficking is done by the drug cartels. It's one more way they make profits. They extort, abuse, rape, kidnap, etc., the trafficked.

I'm glad to learn that the state is addressing the issue, although it would be easier if the Mexican government would address it too from the other side.

But hey, you have read: Don't Mess wit Texas, you traffickers!

Posted by Damaris Constantino on 08/10/2009 @ 03:27PM PT
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Yes as someone working as the outreach coordinator for a human trafficking program in S. Texas, I can attest to the work this state has cut out for it. These new house bills are so amazing for the state of Texas and the state is really doing a lot more than many other state to combat human trafficking. The main problem is training law enforcement to realize that these are victims and not criminals. Law enforcement training is the toughest part of my job.

http://yabastablog.wordpress.com/

Posted by Candice Lown on 08/12/2009 @ 01:36PM PT
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Author

Amanda has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. During that time, she has created reports, documentaries and training materials on human trafficking in the United States and around the world.