The Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) recently signed an alliance with the intent of educating the local community about human trafficking and to generate guidelines on how to help victims of the crime with representation and other forms of aid.
The campaign to raise awareness about help for victims counts on the Spanish-language media in Los Angeles to help publicize at confidential telephone line that the non-profit CAST has established at (888) 539-2373. CAST can provide victims with help in obtaining legal representation, and the Mexican consult has offered the organization $1,500 per case to help pay for aid to individual victims.
Los Angeles is considered one of the main destinations for the estimated 50,000 victims of the slave trade brought to the U.S. each year, and immigrants who are eager to seek opportunities here are among the most vulnerable to traffickers, according to CAST representatives.
Human trafficking currently accounts for approximately $9 billion is business globally, according to data from CAST. Traffickers often transport immigrants to new countries and require them to work as laborers, domestic staff, and in the sex trade. The slaves are held under threat, often in dreadful conditions, according to representatives of the group.
Lisette M. Arsuga, who serves as director of communications for CAST, told the crowd gathered for a January 26 ceremony to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Mexican Consulate that her organization is currently working on 367 cases. She said a majority of the cases involve women and adolescents, though the number of men affected is growing — from 11% in 2008 to 14% in 2009.
Immigrants from Mexico account for nearly half of the current cases, Arsuga said, adding that anyone who is forced to work against his or her will is considered a victim of slavery. Many cases in the U.S. involve individuals forced to work in the sex trade.
Jorge Guzman, a representative of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, said the agency carried out 400 investigations in 2008, the most data available. He added that more than half of the cases involve sexual exploitation.
"[Traffickers] bring over people who think they're going to work at different things, as domestic workers — and it's not like that," Guzman said. "We've seen young girls of 14, 15 and 16 years of age."
Guzman also said that ICE officials believe that many cases are not being reported because the victims fear imprisonment for immigration violations or deportation. He said that efforts to dispel those fears will be needed in order to encourage victims to step forward and report traffickers.
"These victims need us — that's why the pact marks an important step for the struggle," Guzman said. "People should know the help is here, especially in this country that is proud to call itself the land of freedom."
Arsuga said that slavery and human trafficking is a growing concern in other parts of the world. She said that the sales of human beings surpassed arms sales in Europe last year. She also estimated that human trafficking will surpass drug sales in the next five years if current trends continue. Arsuga said that the immigration status of victims who report human trafficking will not be reported to federal authorities, adding that legal representatives will try to get a special "T" visa for victims in some cases, which would allow them to stay legally in the U.S.
Representatives of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) also attended the recent gathering, along with staffers from well-known civil organizations such as the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF) and the B'nai Brith Anti-Defamation League. Representatives of the various groups said that
Mexican Consul General Juan Marcos Gutierrez Gonzalez said his government remains committed to working with civic organizations dedicated to fighting human trafficking in Los Angeles.
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• CAST
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
Graphic image from CAST.
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