Hidden in Plain Sight: The Faces of Labor Trafficking in Connecticut
SEPTEMBER 24, 2021, 12:00 PM TO 2:00 PM (EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME)
When Americans think about human trafficking, they often focus on sex trafficking. And yet, experts estimate that victims of labor trafficking—i.e. forced labor—account for roughly two-thirds of all trafficking victims worldwide. Most Americans assume that labor trafficking happens mostly abroad, in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. For this and other related reasons, labor trafficking is woefully under-reported and under-prosecuted in the U.S., and around the world.
To explore what forms labor trafficking takes in Connecticut and the region, we invited three legal advocates, each with a unique perspective on labor trafficking and the people trapped by it. Drawing on their work with victims, and their expertise bringing legal cases on behalf of these individuals, our panelists shed light on what labor trafficking looks like in Connecticut and surrounding states—from the migrant farmworkers who pick our crops, to the domestic workers who maintain our households, from the unaccompanied children crossing the border, to the immigrant spouses trapped in abusive marriages, and the workers who have helped build our nation. Panelists also discussed how our labor and immigration laws impact labor trafficking, and the fine line between labor exploitation and labor trafficking.
