Five students from the Graduate College of Social Work brought students, faculty, staff and community leaders together on Thursday for a documentary viewing and discussion on the topic of human trafficking — especially human trafficking in Texas.
A number of Houston organizations directed at human trafficking awareness, volunteer programs or vendors working directly with safe houses lined up in the social work building’s hallway to speak with attendees. Some of the organizations included Redeemed Ministries, the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition, UH Women Center, Houston Love Project and The Butterfly Project.
“We buy jewelry from women in safe houses all over the world,” said Baranna Baker, a spokesperson for The Butterfly Project. “We buy the jewelry outright at the price they ask for, and these are women who have been rescued from sex trafficking. … This is a way for them to make money and get to the point where they can get out of the safe houses.”
The documentary “Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking” was screened, and a panel of experts opened a discussion for further information. Among the panelists were Senior Staff Attorney for Children at Risk Dawn Lew, Executive Director of Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition and Chair of the Mayor’s Human Trafficking Task Force Maria Trujilio, social work professor Melissa Torres, YMCA Social Responsibility Director Constance Rossiter and Harris County Sherriff Adrian Garcia.
Torres and Trujilio discussed how labor trafficking is a big issue of which most people are unaware. These victims of labor trafficking can be workers at nail salons, construction workers and farm workers, among others.
“Labor trafficking is something that directly affects us because everyone — myself included; I am not excluding myself at all — are the consumers of this trafficking,” Trujilio said. “If we are more thoughtful about the products we buy, it may be able to make an impact on the prevalence of labor trafficking. It starts with being more aware of where our products are coming from and how it is made. Fair-trade products are a good way to know the product is safe from labor trafficking.”
According to the documentary, over 100,000 children are at risk for exploitation. For sexual human trafficking, young runaways are targeted by traffickers, who manipulate the youth by providing them with an affection most of them have never experienced in their lives. Both labor and sex trafficking depend on immigrants who have been smuggled into the country and forced into slavery by the people who smuggled them.
Moreover, many of these immigrants have backgrounds that make them afraid of law enforcement because the countries they fled from in the first place. Many victims end up being seen and punished as criminals, contributing to the issue. According to Garcia, efforts are being made to help these victims.
“We have a program at the Harris County Jail for victims of human trafficking,” Garcia said. “We try to provide them with anything they need, which can be anything from tattoo removal to some involved in a 12-step program. … We also try to develop a discharge plan so that we can be sure to get them into a job, (provide) shelter and a residential facility, appointment readiness, therapy and training.”
All those who believe that someone they know could be a victim of human trafficking are encouraged to send in an anonymous tip at 1-888-373-7888 or to use the app iWatch.