Batting Up for a Cause

While my knowledge of the D.C. Nationals, or any major league baseball team for that matter, is limited, I will be cheering them on as they take on the Cardinals June 15.

For this particular game, the Nationals have teamed up with the DC Human Trafficking Task Force to bring attention to modern day slavery. People who would otherwise not be inclined to learn about the issue will have information readily accessible at the game and persons dedicated to the cause can show up and make a statement that D.C. will not tolerate human trafficking anymore.

A portion of ticket sales will go to the DC Trafficking Task Force as they continue to help the countless victims of human trafficking. I’ll be there because I care about this issue and who knows; maybe I’ll learn a thing or two about that “old ball game.”

Please see below for registration details:
To register go nationals.com/tickets
* click Individual Game Tickets
* click “T” on game of choice
* enter Coupon Code “HTAN” and click continue
After the discount, tickets are $7/each.

EEOC Makes Headlines with Labor Trafficking Suit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has brought formal charges against labor contractor Global Horizons Manpower, Inc, in what is being deemed the largest case of labor trafficking in the United States.

The EEOC is alleging that the California based contractor recruited hundreds of Thai workers from 2003 to 2007 to work on several U.S. farms under false pretenses of a better life. Upon arrival in the U.S. the workers were physically abused by their recruiters, deprived of food and water and had accrued a debt by the traffickers which would have been impossible to pay off. With their passports confiscated and under constant watch by body guards, they had little hope of escape, until one worker made their way to a nonprofit agency and told their story.

Global Horizons has been recruiting workers from around the world since 1989. Their website states that they “…understand the aspirations of countless workers who dream of having better jobs in better places, but who wish to return to their country of native origin when they've completed the job.” While the words are inspirational, the actions of Global Horizons have turned these “aspirations” for hundreds into a living nightmare.

As of now, back wages are being sought for each of the workers.

While the media attention surrounding this case is rare, labor trafficking itself is a lucrative business for traffickers in the United States. Currently, there are an estimated 10,000 victims of labor trafficking in the U.S.

What About American Girls Sold on the Streets?

Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York Times

When we hear about human trafficking in India or Cambodia, our hearts melt. The victim has sometimes been kidnapped and imprisoned, even caged, in a way that conjures our images of slavery.

But in the United States we see girls all the time who have been trafficked — and our hearts harden. The problem is that these girls aren’t locked in cages. Rather, they’re often runaways out on the street wearing short skirts or busting out of low-cut tops, and many Americans perceive them not as trafficking victims but as miscreants who have chosen their way of life. So even when they’re 14 years old, we often arrest and prosecute them — even as the trafficker goes free.

In fact, human trafficking is more similar in America and Cambodia than we would like to admit. Teenage girls on American streets may appear to be selling sex voluntarily, but they’re often utterly controlled by violent pimps who take every penny they earn.

Read the full article here.

State fair vendor abused workers from Mexico

By Marnie Eisenstadt / The Post-Standard

In three booths at last year's New York State Fair, 19 men worked in conditions close to slavery. They made and sold chicken gyros and french fries for 16 to 18 hours a day with a 15-minute break and one meal. They were paid $1 an hour.

They slept nine or 10 men to one bug-infested trailer, sometimes two to a bed. Some became ill. They worked like this for 11 days at the fair. On the 12th day — Labor Day — they worked 24 hours in a row, according to a federal criminal complaint against their boss.

The boss held a legal hammer over their heads: The workers, here legally from Mexico, would violate their visas if they quit their jobs. They’d be deported. They would never get back into the country legally. They spoke no English and sometimes begged for food from other Spanish-speaking workers.

At day’s end, near midnight, they would scrape together pocket change and walk for an hour or more to buy milk and bread. Sometimes, they felt so trapped they could do nothing but cry, said Samuel Rosales Rios, one of the workers.

This was not some hidden sweatshop or a remote farm. After buying a gyro from one of these workers at the Peter's Fine Greek Foods tent, you could head to the Center of Progress, where state agencies like the attorney general’s and comptroller’s urge people to report scams and injustices.

Read the full article here.

Ask Fox 35 to Report on Human Trafficking

From Polaris Project:

On April 19, Fox 35 Orlando reported that a Sheriff from Polk County arrested “60 alleged prostitutes, pimps and johns” following a week-long undercover bust targeting “escort services”. However, this crackdown was not simply involving alleged escort services, but young girls who - under the control of pimps - performed sex acts for johns.

Polk County prostitution bust targets online escorts: MyFoxORLANDO.com

To read more and take action click here.

Ashley Judd Joins Human Trafficking Fight

From CBN News:

Actress Ashley Judd has traveled across the globe to raise awareness on human trafficking and the damage "modern-day slavery" can have on victims.

Anti-Trafficking Specialist Position with ABA ROLI

From the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative:

Anti-Trafficking Specialist, Mongolia

Location: Mongolia
Organization: American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative
Reference Number: None given
Job Level: Volunteer
Contact: Email jobs@staff.abanet.org

Description:
In support of ABA ROLI’s program to strengthen strategic litigation with respect to human trafficking, the anti-trafficking specialist will share strategic litigation expertise with ABA ROLI partner NGOs representing trafficking victims. The specialist will participate in case-based meetings with Mongolian advocates; assist with developing resources on international and domestic anti-trafficking laws; and will assist in developing guidelines and methodologies for researching trafficking crimes in border areas. He or she will also participate in strategic litigation trainings for advocates in border areas and in the capital of Ulan Bator, and will help to develop and conduct a training on assessing and seeking civil damages in trafficking cases (with a focus on damages related to psychological trauma).

Requirements:
Law degree from an accredited university, minimum of 5 years of professional experience including work as a practicing attorney working on human trafficking cases in both criminal and civil contexts or similar type of legal assistance work. Candidate should have experience with all stages of a trafficking case, from reporting of a crime through trial, as well as assessing and seeking civil damages. Previous training experience, including development of training materials such as handbooks and manuals, is required. Work experience in international settings and familiarity with civil law (German) system strongly preferred, in addition to excellent communication skills.

Please click here to apply.

You can also sign up via LinkedIn and their website to receive monthly updates on jobs openings at ROLI.