Gabriella Sanchez
Arizona State University
gsanch1@asu.edu
Agenda
 Arizona’s Location and Geography
 Anti-Human Trafficking Law Background
 Local Human Smuggling Operations and their
transformation
 TVPA and role of local religious organizations
 Local Border Security Concerns
 Anti-Human Trafficking law
 Implications
 No convictions on Trafficking
 Conspiracy Charges
 Racial Profiling
 Lack of expedited access to justice
US Mexico Border
Geography
Arizona Sonora Border
Maricopa County
Anti-Human Trafficking Law,
SB1372
 Local Human Smuggling Operations
 TVPA and role of Local Religious Organizations
 ALERT
 Religious Rights Efforts
 Local Border Security Concerns
 Smugglers as Increasingly violent
 Ties between drug and human smuggling operations
 Overall concerns over growing undocumented population
from Mexico
 Coupling of religious rights’ moral concerns with national
security “demands”
SB 1372 (cont.)
 Signed in 2005
 Defines sexual trafficking of minors and attempted sex
trafficking of minors as class 2 felonies (prison
eligible)
 Trafficking of persons for forced labor or services
 Court’s obligation to order victim’s compensation
 Amendment in 2009, introduces trafficking as
deception, force or coercion.
Implications





No sex trafficking convictions
Racial Profiling
Abuse of power
Lack of Expedited Access to Justice
Conspiracy charges against undocumented
immigrants for smuggling
 NGOs funded under TVPA not providing contractually
stipulated services
 Determination of victim status, highly discretionary
Conclusions
 No actual resolution of child prostitution or sex trafficking
(In fact, never proved)
 Criminalization of undocumented immigrants
 Increasing pressures on detention facilities and upon
law enforcement
 Reinforcement of racial and cultural stereotypes of
Mexican undocumented immigrants as criminal
 Lack of organization’s accountability.
 Actual victims whereabouts, unknown.