Human Trafficking in Florida
Mary Palamar, West Pasco Branch, AAUW
Introduction
This article is a summary of presentations given at the Ocala AAUW, Clearwater AAUW, and at PascoHernando Community College in New Port Richey. Due to space limitations, this article is only an
overview of the numerous issues on human trafficking. A general overview of human trafficking
provides the basis for information on Florida.
International Human Trafficking
In the September 2003 issue of National Geographic Magazine, many Americans were shocked to read
the article by Andrew Cockburn. Not only did the article describe the various types of slavery in the
world, such an agricultural slavery, sexual slavery, forced child labor, human bondage, etc. but it gave
locations where such slavery is common. In describing the plight of the estimated 27 million people
held worldwide in slavery, the article included slaves in such locations as Georgia, California and
Florida. This article will give an overview of Human Trafficking and then focus on what is currently
being done in Florida. It is only a brief introduction to human trafficking which Bassiouni, a professor
of law at DePaul University in Chicago describes as a human rights subject on which governments have
said so much but done so little. (Bassiouni, Washington Post)
Human trafficking is the Number 2 illegal business in the world, second only to drug trafficking. 1.2
Million people become trafficking victims every year, according to estimates provided by UNESCO
(Washington Post, April 6, 2012). Most of the victims are women or children used for cheap labor or
sexual services.
Definition of Human Trafficking and Human Trafficking Indicators
Human trafficking is the exploitation by force, fraud or coercion of vulnerable people - often, but not
always immigrants, for forced labor, domestic servitude or commercial sex operations. The Washington
Post (April 3, 2012) reports that of the 2.4 million people who are victims of human trafficking 80% of
them are being exploited as sexual slaves and 17% are trafficked to perform forced labor in homes and
sweat shops. Under US law, human trafficking does not have to involve crossing an international border
or involve any kind of physical movement of a victim. Rather, it is a crime of controlling another
person for some kind of labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
Traffickers use multiple means to control their victims. These may include (but are not limited to)
beatings, rape, isolation, drug or alcohol dependency, document withholding, or threats against the
victim’s family. Traffickers are often members of the victim’s own ethnic or cultural family; they may
be fluent in English as well as a native tongue and they may have a greater social or political status in
their home country than their victims.
There are many indicators of human trafficking. The Regional Community Policing Institute at St.
Petersburg College training manual (2006) describes indicators which may be observed in the living or
working conditions of victims, in their personal /physical space, or in their deprivation of necessary
items. Living conditions may include victims living in or near the work area, victims with restricted or
controlled communications, and/or many victims living in a cramped, small space. Trafficking victims
may lack personal items or possessions, cell phones, private space, financial records, transportation or
knowledge about how to get around in a community. Victims may have injuries from beatings or
weapons, may have signs of torture (cigarette burns are often used), may be malnourished, or have their
movements curtailed or controlled.
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)
This law, passed by the 106th Congress, has numerous provisions. The full text of the law may be read
on line. This law has three major provisions:
1. to combat trafficking in persons, whose victims are predominately women and children;
2. to ensure just and effective punishment of traffickers;
3 .to protect the victims.
This law requires the United States Secretary of State to publish a report annually on how the world
countries were progressing in their efforts to combat human trafficking
The Trafficking in Persons report assesses 170 countries in their efforts to combat trafficking. For
reporting purposes, the countries of the world are divided into three tiers; within each tier, there are
specific recommendations as to how that country could improve. The United States is listed in Tier 1,
along with other countries that are making concerted efforts to combat human trafficking both in terms
of law enforcement and protection of victims. Tier 2 countries are trying but not doing enough. Tier 3
countries have serious trafficking problems and are not doing anything about them, or are even making
matters worse. A country placed on the Tier 3 list can have sanctions placed on it in a number of ways.
The annual Trafficking in Persons Report, compiled by the Department of Justice, is available at
www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt
The TVPA law enabled the federal government to issue up to 5,000 T-visas annually to those who were
certified as victims of trafficking. The T-visa allowed the victim to remain in the United States. When
this federal law was initially passed, most of the reported cases of human trafficking victims involved
persons who were not United States citizens. Also, the initial federal law did not take into account the
need to inform, to train, to educate members of local law enforcement agencies, members of the judicial
system, human service agencies, mental health agencies, NGO’s, the general public, and members of
faith based communities, all of whom were needed to be put in place if victims of human trafficking
were to be rescued, protected and restored. Hence, over the years, the TVPA act was amended to include
victims who were U. S. citizens. States passed new state laws against human trafficking and began
providing training to local law enforcement agencies. Increasingly, as local police and service providers
focused on local needs, they became aware of how many U.S. citizens were victims of trafficking.
Trafficking occurs in areas of labor and sex. Within labor, victims are found specifically in agriculture,
domestic servitude, manufacturing, janitorial services, hotel services, hair and nail salons, health, elder
care and strip club dancing. These areas comprise 17% of trafficking victims. Within sex trafficking,
more U. S. citizens, both adult and children, are found in sex trafficking than labor trafficking. They
comprise 80% of trafficking victims.
As states began to train local law enforcement agencies, many local agencies were constrained by lack
of funding. Hence, the U. S. Department of Justice, in coordination with the Office for Victims of
Crime (OVC), began funding 40 task forces and service providers. Within the U. S., Florida was
becoming a hub for human trafficking. Four Task forces were funded in Florida. More information on
these Task Forces is in the Florida section of this essay.
Authors and Advocacy Groups Regarding International Human Trafficking
During the past decade numerous documents have been published on the topic of human trafficking and
many advocacy groups have been founded or existing ones expanded. Many are geared toward
academics or those involved in professional organizations. However, many are geared toward the
individual who simply wants to become better informed and, perhaps to participate in community
organizations which are supporting the various advocacy groups and service providers.
The following are some excellent books for individuals to consider reading, for book groups to discuss
or for local libraries to consider purchasing.
Bales, K. (2009). The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. Berkeley:
Univ. of California Press. The authors describe the many guises of slavery in the U.S., including those
in “nice” American neighborhoods. A details the role of the federal government, F.B.I., Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.), are provided as well as a comprehensive listing, state by state, of
antislavery organizations and agencies
Bales, K., Trodd, Z. & Williamson, A. (2009). Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million Slaves.
Oxford, England: Oneworld Publications. Bales, Trodd and Williamson describe differences between old and
new slavery, and ways to end modern slavery in our lifetime. Bales is a professor of Sociology in London,
England. He is a prolific writer and sought after speaker
Bales, K. (2007). Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves. Berkley: University of California
Press. Focus on the global market in slavery, what governments and the UN can do to address the
slavery problem..
Kara, S. (2009). Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia
University Press. Examines how unregulated economic globalization has impoverished whole regions
and facilitated global criminal networks.
Kristof, N. & WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women
Worldwide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. The authors write about women they have met and assisted
in their worldwide quest for human rights. Kristof writes for the New York Times and is a much sought
after public speaker. This is an excellent book for book clubs as well as for an introduction to Human
Trafficking through the lens of actual victims from various countries and cultures.
Other texts, listed in the references, may be found in some college or local libraries. Local book stores,
even large chain bookstores, have few books on human trafficking but they are willing to order specific
books. Some smaller local libraries often have meager collections on this topic. Learn to ask librarian
to secure the books from interlibrary loan.
Human Trafficking in Florida
The June 2008 Trafficking in Persons report by the U.S. State Department indicated that Florida is a
magnet for human trafficking, ranking number 3 in the country, along with New York (number 1) and
California (Number 2).
Human Trafficking in Florida takes many forms. The National Geographic article of Sept. 2003 noted
the plight of the Florida agricultural workers. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) estimated in
2003 that up to ten percent of U.S. farm workers were enslaved. Since 2003, the CIW, as an
organization, has been heralded as a model advocacy organization for enslaved agricultural workers.
CIW has an extensive web site (www.ciw-online.org) which has a large number of materials such as
published reports, press releases and materials for use by college students. In recognition for their work,
three members of the CIW were given the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the first
and only time the award has gone to a US-based organization.
Kevin Bales writing in The Slave Next Door (Bales, 2009, p. 181) says that southwest Florida has more
trafficking cases than many states.
When the U. S. Department of Justice began funding for local Task Forces, four such task forces were
established in Florida: Clearwater/ Tampa Bay, Collier County, Homestead, Lee County. The
Clearwater/Tampa Bay task force has become a model for other task forces around the country. The
Clearwater Task Force has a newsletter which individuals can obtain by signing up at www.catfht.org .
In the February 14, 2011 newsletter the following statistics on Human Trafficking just in the
Clearwater/Tampa Bay area were given: As of 2011, the Clearwater Police Department and Tampa Law
Enforcement had 104 arrests with 37 convictions, 25 victims have been confirmed as severe forms of
Human Trafficking, 7 victims have been granted continued presence, 4 victims have been awarded Tvisas. In addition to law enforcement agencies, the Clearwater Task Force is comprised of many
community groups, faith based agencies, social service agencies and interested citizens.
In addition to the four Task Forces in Florida, there are coalitions specializing in human trafficking
which cover all counties in Florida. There is also a statewide task force sponsored by the Department of
Children and Families and another sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Orlando.
Faith based organizations such as the Salvation Army produce training manuals for service providers or
disseminate electronic newsletters. The Salvation Army produced a training manual with many practical
suggestions for those providing services to victims of human trafficking. The entire manual can be
downloaded at www.salvationarmyusa.org. One section deals with culturally appropriate services to
victims of trafficking, a topic especially important to the many victims who do not speak English.
An excellent and comprehensive monthly newsletter Stop Trafficking is produced by the Jean Schafer, a
Roman Catholic sister. You may contact Jean at jeansds2010@yahoo.com and request to be on the
mailing list. Back issues of Stop Trafficking are available at www.stopenslavement.org/index.html.
The April 4, 2012 newsletter of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers features an article on support given
by the Rabbis for Human Rights –North America (RHR-NA). These rabbis travelled to Immokalee to
stand in support with the Immokalee workers and generated support from the Jewish media from New
York to Los Angeles.
Areas of Strength and Greatest Need in Florida
Areas of Strength
While Florida faces many challenges in the area of human trafficking, it is making better progress than
some states. Florida continually updates its laws, seeks to involve the community and has opportunities
through task forces and coalitions for its citizens to play a role in the efforts to combat trafficking.
Florida’s laws have proactive provisions for child victims, criminal provisions for facilitators of
trafficking and criminal justice tools for investigation and prosecution. Florida’s laws have resulted in
numerous convictions of those who are engaged in Human Trafficking.
In the January 2012 issue of Stop Trafficking, the report cards for all 50 states show each states progress
in combating human trafficking. Florida received an overall grade of C. New York received a grade of
D and California a grade of F. In comparison with the two other states with larger number of trafficking
victims Florida is doing better. Not one state had a grade of A. Four states had a grade of B. They were
Illinois, Missouri, Washington and Texas. None of these states faces complexity or the same number of
trafficking issues as Florida.
Areas of Greatest Need
Continued education about Human Trafficking for all Florida residents is essential. After hearing
presentations on Human Trafficking, Floridians are amazed at what is going on in their neighborhood,
town, or city. Without educated and aware citizens some of the abuses which are in the open will go
unreported. Fortunately Florida has Task Forces and Coalitions specializing in human trafficking which
are working collaboratively with NGOs, faith based organizations and numerous community groups.
A major challenge faced by Florida is the large number of human trafficking victims who are under the
age of 18. In Florida, sex trafficking has evolved from an international problem to a domestic crisis.
Sex traffickers often target children 8 to 14 years and keep them enslaved for an average of six years.
Florida has a large, ever growing number of run-a-way children who are often targeted by pimps and
trafficked into sexual slavery. In cases of domestic trafficking victims who are minors, there are
relatively few safe houses where, once the victims are rescued, they can obtain the full range of services
they need in order to be fully restored. A comprehensive interdisciplinary program including shelter,
education, mental health services, academic and vocational training and security is essential to restore
victims. According to a recent report in the Sarasota Herald Tribune (Nov. 4, 2011), Florida has only a
dozen safe houses in the entire state. A new Safe House is scheduled to open in Sarasota with the goal
of restoring victims of human trafficking. Selah Freedom House is a 501(c) 3 not for profit organization
(www.selahfreedomhouse.org).
While Florida has passed stringent laws regarding human trafficking, there is a continued need to
enforce these laws, to monitor their effectiveness and to educate judges and those in the legal system as
to the appropriate and just punishment for those committing the crime of human trafficking. The state is
making progress in monitoring and revising its laws and striving for continued stronger changes. For
example, on March 8, 2012, the Safe Harbor Act passed in the Florida legislature (Miami Herald, March
8, 2012). The Safe Harbor Act imposes tougher penalties for adults who force children into domestic
servitude or commercial sex trade. The bill also mandates that young victims get the help they need.
Is There a Greater Role for AAUW in Combating Human Trafficking?
Since the majority of victims of human trafficking are girls and women, it seems natural that AAUW
could assume a greater role in combating human trafficking. Building community awareness, providing
education and advocacy for victims of human trafficking is essential. Some community organizations,
professional organizations, business groups, faith-based organizations have already written and
distributed corporate stances against human trafficking. Should national AAUW develop such a stance?
Should the state AAUW develop such a stance, especially since Florida has the third highest number of
trafficking victims in the US?
The Florida branch of AAUW has a leader on loan program which will provide the branches with a
speaker on human trafficking. This is an excellent beginning. Some AAUW branches have book
groups which have read one or more of the excellent recent publications on human trafficking. This is
another positive step. Some state AAUW conferences have provided presentations on human trafficking
and other states remind members in their newsletters about pending legislation on human trafficking.
For example, the Colorado AAUW newsletter of March 2010 lists pending bills and places them into
categories of bills to support, including one on human trafficking. The question could be raised to all
AAUW branches “How can we become a leader in eradicating the problem of human trafficking faced
by millions of women and children? “ Are we informing our members of the national or statewide
actions being undertaken to combat trafficking? Are we aware of the laws on trafficking in our state and
how well these laws are being implemented? Are we acting decisively enough to support both
educationally and financially in the restoration of women who are US born and victims of trafficking?
Are we asking our local and state legislatures what they are doing to combat trafficking and how they
are voting for the needed legislation on the implementation of the tougher laws which the states are
passing? Should Florida AAUW strive to seek and obtain representation on the Task Forces and/or
Coalitions which exist in Florida? Could our voices and organization bring about greater advocacy and
community support for the efforts these organizations are seeking?
In September of 2008, AAUW gained special consultative status at the United Nations with the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). AAUW is now one of 2500 nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) at the UN. One of the many issues AAUW follows at the UN is human trafficking/ sexual
exploitation. Carolyn Donovan serves as the AAUW representative to the UN. Could our state branches
better inform members about the work AAUW is engaged in at the UN? Could our state branches better
follow the needs of victims of international human trafficking and become a stronger advocate for these
victims many of whom have been trafficked into the US?
Might these questions be a topic for a branch AAUW meeting or for next year’s state convention?
Conclusion
Human trafficking is one of the worst humanitarian crises facing the world today. Unlike historical
slavery, modern slavery is illegal in all countries and banned by international conventions. It is not
limited to third world countries but exists here in the United States. Florida had the third largest number
of victims in the country. While the state is making progress, there is much to be done to respond to
human trafficking and to restoring victims to a quality of life long denied them.
General References on Human Trafficking:
Associated Press, “UN Says 2.4 million people are victims of human trafficking and most are sexually
exploited”, in Washington Post, April 3, 2012.
Bales, K. (2009). The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. Berkeley:
Univ. of California Press.
Bales, K., Trodd, Z. & Williamson, A. (2009). Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million Slaves.
Oxford, England: Oneworld Publications.
Bales, K. (2007). Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves. Berkley: University of California
Press.
Batstone, D. (2007). Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade – and How We
Can Fight It. New York: Harper One.
Cockburn, A. (2003) “21st Century Slaves” in National Geographic, Vol. 201, No. 5,
p. 2- 24.
Hughes, Donna (2003) Hiding in Plain Sight. University of Rhode Island .
www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/hiding_in_plain_sight.pdf
Kara, S. (2009). Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia
University Press. Examines how unregulated economic globalization has impoverished whole regions
and facilitated global criminal networks.
Kristof, N. & WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women
Worldwide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Shannon, L. (2010). A Thousand Sisters: My Journey into the Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman.
Berkley, CA: Seal Press. Influenced by American media, Shannon demonstrated what one person can
do to promote human rights.
Skinner, E. B. (2008). A Crime So Monstrous. New York: Free Press.
Well researched, and well written. Highlights the work of John Miller and other Americans in trying to
get the United States more active in abolishing trafficking, debt bondage, use of child soldiers, and in the
rehabilitation of freed slaves.
Florida References:
Coalition of Immokalee Workers, http://ciw-online.org. April 4, 2012 newsletter, p. 1
Florida Strategic Plan on Human Trafficking. Florida State University Center for the Advancement of
Human Rights. www.cahr.fsu.edu
Miami Herald, March 8, 2012. Article by Kathleen McGrory. Lawmakers Get Tough on Trafficking:
Reach Out to Victims.
Pendygraft, J. Slavery of Migrant Farmworkers Continues in the U.S. to This Day.
St. Petersburg Times, May 28, 2010.
Sarasota Herald Tribune, Oct, 2, 2011. Article by Halle Stockton. Group plans to open safe house for
sex trafficking victims.
Florida Regional Community Policing Institute, (2006). The Many Faces of Human Trafficking Course
Manual, St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg, FL.
“The Protected Innocence Challenge: U.S. States’ Report Cards” in Stop Trafficking Newsletter, No. 10,
Vol. 1, p.4, 2012.
3/3/2016
Mary Palamar
mpalamar@tampabay.rr.com