A Comprehensive Analysis of Labor Trafficking Cases in the United States: A Twelve-Year Review
Ezequiel Dominguez, MSW & Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, PhD, MSW | September 18 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Beginner
Recent years have seen increased attention towards labor trafficking among scholars, policymakers, and advocates. However, gaps in understanding persist due to underreporting, terminological confusion, a focus on sex trafficking, legal inconsistencies, varied employment contexts, and inadequate training among anti-trafficking stakeholders. Consequently, the legal system often lacks the tools to prosecute such cases, resulting in dispositions that do not adequately reflect the seriousness of labor traffickers’ crimes. This study employs structured online searches and descriptive statistical analysis to address the following questions: 1) What are the general demographic characteristics of labor traffickers in the United States? 2) What are the means of control used by labor traffickers in the United States? and 3) What is the disposition outcome for labor trafficking cases in the United States? The findings focus on several key areas: 1) labor trafficker demographics, 2) typologies of labor trafficking settings, 3) recruitment strategies and techniques, 4) means of control, 5) locations of arrest, and 6) crime typologies and legal outcomes per trafficker. These findings highlight diverse demographics among traffickers, variations in labor trafficking settings, recruitment strategies, means of control, arrest locations, and legal outcomes. Legal outcomes revealed a mix of labor trafficking charges, immigration-related offenses, and white-collar crimes, with only one third of cases resulting in convictions for labor trafficking. These findings highlight several critical points: the inconsistency in labor trafficking prosecution across U.S. courts, the urgent need for improved data collection on labor trafficking, and the importance of addressing foreign-national traffickers exploiting their own cultural communities.
Presentation Objectives:
• Discuss ongoing factors resulting in limited understanding and research on labor trafficking, including underreporting, terminological confusion, a focus on sex trafficking, legal inconsistencies, varied employment contexts, and inadequate training among anti-trafficking stakeholders
• Present key findings from the study regarding labor trafficking in the United States, including demographic characteristics of traffickers, means of control used, and disposition outcomes of labor trafficking cases
• Discuss the implications of the findings, including the challenges in prosecuting labor trafficking cases, the need for improved data collection, and the need to address foreign-national traffickers targeting their own cultural communities