The prevalence of Human trafficking in Houston, Texas is the worst of any U.S. city. Between 2007 and 2016 the city ranked first for reported trafficking cases,[1] while in 2019 the number of cases nearly doubled compared to the previous three years,[2] despite Mayoral initiatives,[3] due to the highly organized nature of this criminal business.[4]

Statistics

Many studies have been conducted to gather data about human trafficking in Houston.[5] In 2006, 25% of trafficking victims rescued in Texas came from Houston. In 2010, individuals were asked to estimate how informed they think Houston's general public is about human trafficking in the city, with 33.3% of responders saying people have no knowledge about the subject, 54.8% having little to no knowledge, and 11.9% saying people have some knowledge.[4] A measure of data used to understand the human trafficking industry is the cost of risk to traffickers. The higher the cost of risk for traffickers and consumers means the less likely a trafficking ring will successfully operate in that region.[6] Houston has a $66.85 cost of risk for traffickers, which is 6 times lower than the neighboring county McLennan's cost of risk for traffickers, $441.05.[6] In 2019, data only from online advertisements was used to estimate 14,539 trafficked individuals in Houston.[7]

Types of trafficking

The industries in Texas that are most involved in trafficking are "hotels, restaurants, factories, farms, child care, massage parlors, health care, and sexually oriented businesses".[8] These industries are connected to two popular forms of human trafficking in Houston, labor trafficking and sex trafficking.[8]

Sex trafficking

The governmental Office of Justice programs defines sex trafficking as "a form of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation".[9] Scholars and activists have recognized Illicit Massage Businesses (IMBs) as cover ups for sex trafficking.[10] In Houston, 292 IMBs have all together had an average of 2,869 customers daily between noon and 2:00pm[10] The Offshore Technology Conference is an annual event where more than 31,000 people meet in Houston's NRG Park.[11] This convention brings a spike to sex trafficking every year because of the increase in demand for sexual services,[12] and has led to police making "hundreds of arrests" relating to trafficking in 2017 and 2018.[13] Another area with a reputation for prostitution and human trafficking is "The Track" or Bissonnet.[14][15] In 2021, investigative reporter Robert Arnold reported that this 1.5-mile stretch is shown in YouTube videos as well as being mentioned in the Wikipedia article "List of red-light districts" because of prostitution activity.[16][17] Bissonnet Track even held the title of being the top prostitution spot in 2017.[18] The Sweet 16 Agreement was made in 2013, where the 16 strip clubs in on the settlement would donate one million dollars annually to Human Trafficking Houston Police Department Vice Squads in exchange for disregarding the 3-foot rule, distance between schools, and topless regulations for dancers at these clubs.[19] According to data from a Houston based study, 77% of those who left working at strip clubs through the help of Rescue America (non-profit organization) 77% were underage, and 85% were working at these clubs because they were working under a trafficker or pimp.[19] Occurrences of sex trafficking in Houston strip clubs has continued to be evident, with 3 men sentenced after smuggling women from Cuba and forcing them to work at clubs in the Houston area.[20]

Labor trafficking

Labor trafficking, although may overlap with sex trafficking in terms of forced labor, has its own circle of issues. Labor trafficking is defined in short as "exploitation of an individual for financial gain" by the governmental Office of Justice programs.[21] According to a spokesperson from United Against Human Trafficking, a Houston-based organization, the number of labor trafficking victims is much greater than the number of sex trafficking victims,[22] however is not talked about as much and is not identified as easily as sex trafficking is.[23] Labor trafficking in Houston will involve the exploited labor of undocumented immigrants, and according to the Houston Police Department, this usually take place at sweatshops, massage parlors, agriculture, restaurants, hotels, and domestic service.[24][25] Interviews of immigrant day laborers were conducted in 2016 to Houston's "labor-related exploitation", concluding in 64% of interviewees reporting being trafficked.[26] In 2014, two businesses in Houston's Chinatown were suspected of transporting hundreds of immigrants from Central America to Chinese restaurants, resulting in charging 32 suspects and arresting 44 individuals.[24] A couple in Houston was arrested in 2016 for forcing a women they lured from Nigeria to work 20+ hours a day as their nanny while holding onto her passport.[27]

Causes

Houston's close-proximity to the Mexico–United States border, land and water ports, major highways, and diverse population and economy plays a role in the human trafficking issue due to the high demand for inexpensive labor and sex-related services.[4]

Location

International human trafficking routes show Houston as a port with multiply entry and exit points.

The I-10 highway connects Houston to other major cities, making it an "internal circuit" where traffickers move victims throughout countries,[28] making it the United States' main human trafficking route.[29] Major highways used to smuggle women, men, and children from the border have often lead to "stash houses" in Houston.[30] Interstate highways and a close proximity to the border makes it easier for traffickers to access different markets and avoid legal investigations.[31][32] The short distance from the US-Mexico border to Houston makes legal and illegal immigrants a big target for human trafficking because of their need for employment opportunities or passage to the United States, making Houston a "popular entry point".[33][34] Houston's Gulf Coast port makes up 73% of the national's Gulf Coast traffic, due to the 200 facilities in Houston's ship channels.[35] It has been known that there is a chance of ships traveling through international waters carrying or transporting victims of human trafficking,[36] so with Houston's active seaports in mind, this information supports the idea of ports playing a role in Houston's title as a major "human trafficking hub".[37]

Population factors

Research has indicated that individuals with a "lack in opportunities" make them vulnerable to trafficking.[38] Homelessness, from voluntary or forced actions, is a risk factor that makes an individual susceptible to trafficking,[39][40] and according to a YMCA report, about 6,000 people runaway from their home yearly in Houston.[41] The Polaris Project conducted a survey to figure out what kept victims from leaving their "trafficking situation", and had 64% of their responders answer with their "lack in affordable housing".[42] This explains traffickers tactics of luring victims by providing housing in apartment complexes across Houston[42] and why the homeless population of about 3,223[43] in Houston is a group most at risk of trafficking.[44][45] Another contributor to high trafficking activity in Houston is the amount of undocumented immigrants,[46] since traffickers use their illegal passage as leverage to exploit them.[47][48] About 100,000 undocumented immigrants reside in Houston, making another portion of Houston's population at risk of trafficking.[49] Houston has a very diverse population, ranking 4th out of all cities in the U.S. in 2023.[50] This contributes to high trafficking risks because victims are able to blend and be hidden more easily in a more diverse population,[31] especially when the population of 6 million people is constantly growing.[31]

Countermeasures

Legislation

Houston applies the Texas Penal Code § 20A, or the Trafficking of Person's law, allows police to make an arrest if they suspect any involvement human trafficking related activities, and was amended in both the 86th Texas Legislature (2019) and 88th Texas Legislature (2023).[51] This law addresses adult sex and labor, and child sex and labor trafficking,[52] and results in 2–20 years in prison if the victim is or over 18, and 5–99 years if the victim is under 18.[53] Healthcare workers or people who interact with patients in Houston must take a mandatory "prevention course on human trafficking" because of the Texas House Bill 2059.[54] The Texas House Bill 1121 is responsible for creating the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force who implemented required trafficking trainings for educators in cities throughout Texas.[55] The White House awarded Houston the Presidential Award in 2018 for being a "national model for building anti-trafficking infrastructure at the municipal level".[56] An example of municipal effort to combat trafficking is Houston's "Ten Municipal Fellowship", a two-day program where solutions to trafficking were tracked in the 18 cities that participated.[56] Houston is a part of CEASE, a collaborative initiative of cities committed to reduce sex trafficking by comparing how the same issue is addressed in cities with high sex trafficking activity.[57][58] Houston was also the first of the major U.S. cities to implement anti-trafficking pieces of legislation.[59] This includes that hotels in the Houston area will need to conduct anti-trafficking trainings for employees.[60] Although the Houston Police Department covers most human trafficking cases in Houston, other agencies such as the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Independent School District Police Department (and the police departments at other Houston school districts), and Harris County Constable’s Office are also allowed to intervene in cases around the Houston Area.[61]

Organizations

Organizations have been making efforts to end the issue of trafficking in the Houston area by reaching out to communities.[62] This includes the work of non-profits and/or Government funded groups.[59]

  • Baylor College of Medicine Program: A "hospital-based program" created by city officials to better care for trafficking victims and provide the necessary resources which will help others to leave the life forced upon them.[63]
  • Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition: Organization of 30 local non-profits and individuals who are bringing awareness to human trafficking in Houston since 2005.[4]
  • Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance Task Force (HTRA): Initiative that involves both social workers and law enforcement who have rescued 200 victims of trafficking in nine out of the ten counties in the Houston Area since its founding in 2005.[61]
  • Children at Risk: Leads an educational approach to human trafficking awareness in Houston, such as presentations and bus tours.[64]
  • Tahirih Justice Center: A national organization, with an office in Houston, that uses federal and local advocacy to support trafficking victims in and out of the justice system.[65]
  • United Against Human Trafficking: A networking organization that brings other anti-human trafficking organizations in Houston together to empower victims and inform the community to prevent further exploitation.[66]
  • Free The Captives Houston: Christian-based non-profit that provides resources and assistance for victims, while cooperating with law enforcement to rescue those trafficked.[67]

References

  1. ↑ "RANKING OF THE 100 MOST POPULOUS U.S. CITIES" (PDF).
  2. ↑ Rice, Jen (January 13, 2020). "The Number Of Human Trafficking Cases Has More Than Doubled In Harris County". Houston Public Media.
  3. ↑ "City of Houston Mayor's Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence – Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Houston Awareness". humantraffickinghouston.org. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Phillips, Christie Watkins (2010). Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition human trafficking needs assessment. Ann Arbor: The University of Texas School of Public Health. pp. 17–18, 33. ISBN 978-1-109-70310-8.
  5. ↑ Rodas, Ericka Carolina (2011). A Child’s Search for Freedom in 21st Century America. Seton Hall University. p. 8.
  6. 1 2 Henderson, Angie. "If Houston Has a Problem, McLennan County Has a Solution: Cost of Risk For Engaging in the Commercial Sex Trade from 2017–2020": 1–14 – via The Avery Center For Research & Services. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ Center, The Avery (June 29, 2021). "Houston, We Have a Problem: Cost of Risk to Traffickers, Buyers and Victims in the Commercial Sex…". Medium. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Human Trafficking in Texas: Facts, Statistics, Shelters and Prevention Organizations". 2023.
  9. ↑ "UNDERSTANDING SEX TRAFFICKING" (PDF). Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center.
  10. 1 2 Bouche, Vanessa; Crotty, Sean M (October 2, 2018). "Estimating demand for illicit massage businesses in Houston, Texas". Journal of Human Trafficking. 4 (4): 279. doi:10.1080/23322705.2017.1374080. ISSN 2332-2705. S2CID 134933772.
  11. ↑ "Who Attends OTC". OTC 2024 (24OTC). Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ Zubairie, Nazeeya Pervaiz (2016). HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN DALLAS: AN ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING, AWARENESS, AND EFFECTIVENESS IN RECOGNIZING VICTIMS. The University of Texas at Arlington. p. 11.
  13. ↑ "Police combat sex trafficking, prostitution during Offshore Technology Conference". khou.com. May 6, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ Banks, Gabrielle (2019). "The Track". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  15. ↑ Fletcher, Abner (May 2, 2019). "Full Show: Prostitution On The Bissonnet Track, And Strange Houston News (May 2, 2019) –". Houston Public Media (www.houstonpublicmedia.org). Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  16. ↑ Arnold, Robert (September 16, 2021). "HPD using new law to crack down on those paying for sex". KPRC. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  17. ↑ Cochran, Amanda (July 12, 2023). "Bissonnet Track: Inside its shadowy history, efforts aimed at curbing prostitution, sex trafficking in notorious area". KPRC. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  18. ↑ Adler, Shannan (May 25, 2017). "Houston's top prostitution hot spots". KPRC. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Rising, Elijah (February 16, 2018). "The Reality Behind Fantasy Plaza | Houston Strip Clubs and Sex Trafficking".
  20. ↑ "Three Cuban Nationals Sentenced for Sex Trafficking and Related Crimes in Texas Strip Clubs". Office of Public Affairs | U.S Department of Justice. July 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ "UNDERSTANDING LABOR TRAFFICKING" (PDF). Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center.
  22. ↑ Zizka, Tom (April 24, 2023). "Examining the problem of labor trafficking".
  23. ↑ Frances H. Recknor, Gretchen Gemeinhardt & Beatrice J. Selwyn (2018) Health-care provider challenges to the identification of human trafficking in health-care settings: A qualitative study, Journal of Human Trafficking, 4:3, 213-230, DOI: 10.1080/23322705.2017.1348740
  24. 1 2 Bracy, Kristen; Lul, Bandak; Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique (January 2, 2021). "A Four-year Analysis of Labor Trafficking Cases in the United States: Exploring Characteristics and Labor Trafficking Patterns". Journal of Human Trafficking. 7 (1): 35–52. doi:10.1080/23322705.2019.1638148. ISSN 2332-2705. S2CID 201553644.
  25. ↑ "COMBATING HuMAN TRAFFICKING" (PDF). Houston Police Department.
  26. ↑ Busch-Armendariz, Noël; Nale, Nicole L.; Kammer-Kerwick, Matt; Kellison, J. Bruce; Torres, Melissa I. M.; Cook-Heffron, Laurie; Nehme, John (December 2016). "Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas". doi:10.15781/T2416T382. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  27. ↑ Zizka, Tom (April 24, 2023). "Examining the problem of labor trafficking". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  28. ↑ Bales, Kevin; Lize, Steven (March 2005). "Trafficking in Persons in the United States" (PDF). Report to the National Institute of Justice: 15.
  29. ↑ "Growing Up in Houston 2009–2010". Children at Risk Biannual Report
  30. ↑ Trovall, Elizabeth (July 1, 2022). "Here's how human smuggling works along the U.S.-Mexico border".
  31. 1 2 3 Varghese, Christine. 2017. "Current Anti-Prostitution Efforts and Potential of Strategy to Tackle Demand for Addressing Sex Trafficking in the Houston Area." Order No. 10684548, The University of Texas School of Public Health.
  32. ↑ Dols, Jean Dowling; Beckmann-Mendez, Diana; McDow, Jessica; Walker, Katherine; Moon, Michael D. (November 2019). "Human Trafficking Victim Identification, Assessment, and Intervention Strategies in South Texas Emergency Departments". Journal of Emergency Nursing. 45 (6): 622–633. doi:10.1016/j.jen.2019.07.002. ISSN 0099-1767.
  33. ↑ Ngwe, J. E., & Elechi, O. O. (2012). HUMAN TRAFFICKING: THE MODERN DAY SLAVERY OF THE 21st CENTURY. African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies, 6(1–2), 103+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A513643674/AONE?u=acd_aone&sid=googleScholar&xid=48eefe46
  34. ↑ Servin, Argentina, Kimberly Brouwer, Leah Gordon, Teresita Rocha-Jimenez, and Hugo Staines. "Vulnerability Factors and Pathways Leading to Underage Entry into Sex Work in Two Mexican–US Border Cities." Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk 6, no. 1 (2015): 1-17.
  35. ↑ "Houston Ship Channel Economic Impact". 2022.
  36. ↑ "From Port To Port: Human Trafficking Epidemic At Sea". Maritime Fairtrade. February 10, 2023.
  37. ↑ Hoffman, Ken (August 14, 2017). "Tour shows the dark side of Houston as major center for human sex trafficking". CultureMap Houston.
  38. ↑ Clark, Michele Anne (July 2003). "Trafficking in Persons: An issue of human security". Journal of Human Development. 4 (2): 251–252. doi:10.1080/1464988032000087578. ISSN 1464-9888. S2CID 154931659.
  39. ↑ Kelly, Mara Vanderslice; Chen, Catherine (January 11, 2021). "Human Trafficking Does Not Happen in a Vacuum".
  40. ↑ Houston-Kolnik, J. D., Soibatian, C., & Shattell, M. M. (2020). Advocates’ Experiences With Media and the Impact of Media on Human Trafficking Advocacy. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(5-6), 1108-1132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517692337
  41. ↑ "The Trafficked Persons Assistance Program" (PDF). YMCA.
  42. 1 2 "On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking". Polaris Project. July 2018.
  43. ↑ Troisi, Catherine; Rausch, Ana (March 2022). "THE WAY HOME CONTINUUM OF CARE: 2022 HOMELESS COUNT & SURVEY ANALYSIS" (PDF).
  44. ↑ Murphy, Laura. (2017). Labor and Sex Trafficking Among Homeless Youth A Ten-City Study.
  45. ↑ Novak, E. H. (2016). Vagrants, vixens, and victims: Exploring the limitations of human trafficking victim recognition criteria in texas (Order No. 10182381). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1832362895).
  46. ↑ Farrell, A., McDevitt, J. and Fahy, S. (2010), Where are all the victims?. Criminology & Public Policy, 9: 211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2010.00621.x
  47. ↑ Orrenius, Pia; Zavodny, Madeline (2015). "Chapter 13 - Undocumented Immigration and Human Trafficking". Handbook of the Economics of International Migration. 1: 659–716.
  48. ↑ Kavita Desai, "Legal Strategies in the Fight to End Human Trafficking," HLRe: Off the Record 3, no. 2 (Spring 2013): 57
  49. ↑ Rodriguez, N. P. (1987). Undocumented Central Americans in Houston: Diverse Populations. International Migration Review, 21(1), 4-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/019791838702100101
  50. ↑ Digital, FOX 26 (April 17, 2023). "Houston named 4th most diverse city in the US, according to study". FOX 26 Houston.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  51. ↑ "Trafficking of Persons: Texas Penal Code §20A.02". Saputo Toufexis | Criminal Defense PLLC. 2023.
  52. ↑ "What is Human Trafficking?". Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas.
  53. ↑ "TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS TEXAS PENAL CODE TITLE 5. OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON CHAPTER 20A. TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS". Barnett Howard and Williams PLLC. September 28, 2015.
  54. ↑ Ladd M, Jones EB. Texas Human Trafficking. [Updated 2022 Nov 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573077/
  55. ↑ Force, Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task. "Human trafficking." (2014).
  56. 1 2 Davis, Minal Patel; Graves, Chris (October 21, 2022). "A City's Role in Preventing and Combatting Human Trafficking". National League of Cities.
  57. ↑ Gavin, Donna; Thomson, Cassandra (2017), "Sex Trafficking in One US City: Traditional Policing and Boston's Shift to a Survivor-Centered Response", Human Trafficking Is a Public Health Issue, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 325–346, ISBN 978-3-319-47823-4, retrieved November 13, 2023
  58. ↑ Benton, Francis, et al. "Don't Mess With Texas: Responses Towards Human Trafficking in the Lone Star State." In Handbook of Research on Present and Future Paradigms in Human Trafficking, edited by Essien D. Essien, 43-63. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2022. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9282-3.ch004
  59. 1 2 Anderson, Jessica. "Houston Police Department Vice Division Human Trafficking Information Brief" (PDF). Houston Police Department.
  60. ↑ Linares, Alyssa; Robinson, Taylor D. "Labor Trafficking: An Overview" (PDF).
  61. 1 2 "/Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Field Assessment -Harris and Galveston County" (PDF). March 16, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014.
  62. ↑ Combating Human Trafficking in Our Major Cities : Field Hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, March 20, 2014. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2014.
  63. ↑ Eugenia Y. Chen, Katherine Robichaux, Mollie R. Gordon, John H Coverdale, Asim a Shah, Minal Patel Davis & Phuong Thanh Nguyen (2023) A Pilot Program's Healthcare Response to Human Trafficking in Houston, Texas, Journal of Human Trafficking, 9:1, 119–129, DOI: 10.1080/23322705.2020.1865095
  64. ↑ "Information for Organizations and Professionals Serving Victims". Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence.
  65. ↑ "Trafficking Protections". Tahirih Justice Center.
  66. ↑ "About". United Against Human Trafficking.
  67. ↑ "Our Mission". Free The Captives Houston.
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