Inspire, Summer 2010

For most Americans, a news story about human trafficking conjures up images of Third-World countries, where impoverished people have limited options, where corrupt governments seem unwilling or unable to stop it. Even the term “human trafficking” sounds like an issue for activists, not average U.S. citizens. “It’s unfortunate,” we acknowledge — and then try to think about something less depressing. But on any given day, more than 4,000 children are missing in the United States. This figure reflects children and teens under the age of 18 who have run away from home, left the foster care system, or been abducted. These children are the peak of the estimated 200,000 at high risk for sexual or commercial exploitation in the U.S. Adding to the complexity is the issue of illegal immigration, with its varied nuances and increased opportunities for criminal activity. There is significant movement — both literal and virtual via the Internet — into and out from U.S. borders, and the consequences are appalling. Women desperate to escape poverty, corruption, and injustice in their home countries are smuggled into the United States with the promise of work. Once they arrive, their smugglers increase the fee for transport. The women rarely understand English, their passports are taken, and they are forced into prostitution to pay an unrecoverable debt. In response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Office of Investigation within its Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE is the largest investigative arm of the DHS, with the mission of “targeting the people, money, and materials” that drive the market for “illegal movement of people and goods into, within, and out of the United States.” “ There will always be that child who crawls into your heart and lives there forever. ” The U.S. Department of Justice invited Amy Allen to present at a child exploitation conference in Moldova. Participants included legislators from six Eastern European countries. 20 SUMMER 2010