Haley Stevens: “over 100 years ago, our country criminalized slavery with the 13th amendment to the U.S. constitution. Yet, thousands of…”

“over 100 years ago, our country criminalized slavery with the 13th amendment to the U.S. constitution. Yet, thousands of people in our country still live a life of slavery and forced prostitution. According to the State Department, up to 800,000 people worldwide are trafficked across borders each year. As many as 17,000 persons are believed to be trafficked in the United States annually. The majority of these victims are women and children. Most of them are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking is a highly profitable and dangerous business. It generates an estimated $9.5 billion annually and is closely connected to organized crime. Human trafficking operations have been linked to money-laundering, drug-trafficking, document forgery, and the funding of terrorist activities. Those involved in human trafficking prey on the most vulnerable in our society. They seek out those living in poverty and those who have not had access to a good education. Human traffickers hold their victims against their will and force them into slavery or the sex industry, where they are threatened and often physically or sexually abused. The State Department is working with other nations to combat this problem internationally, and we must do more here at home. Those involved in human trafficking should face severe criminal penalties. It is my hope that such penalties will discourage this type of activity.…”