The Polaris Project

About: The NHTRC has operated since December 7th, 2007, by Polaris, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors of human trafficking. Polaris is not a government entity, law enforcement, or immigration authority. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other private donors and supporters.

The policy under analysis is the H.R. 4980 (113th): Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014. It was introduced to Congress on June 26, 2014, and it was enacted on September 29, 2014 (Civic Impulse, 2017). The law was enacted to target several problems: first, to prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care (Subtitle A); second, to improve adoption incentives and extending family connection grants (Subtitle B); and third, to improve international child support recovery (Subtitle C) (Children’s Defense, 2014). The law cites the definition of ‘sex trafficking’ from the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) as, “The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person

About: The NHTRC has operated since December 7th, 2007, by Polaris, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors of human trafficking. Polaris is not a government entity, law enforcement, or immigration authority. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other private donors and supporters.

Traffickers continue to be in this cruelest method of oppression because human trafficking remains highly lucrative. The United States efficiently fight against the global as well as the country’s slavery by providing legal protection and post psychological development to the victims. This modern human right issue in the United States was made illegal when it passed the Trafficking Protection Act (TVPA) in October 2000, and later under reauthorization, Congress established a private right of action for victims of human trafficking into or within the United States to bring a civil action against their perpetrators. It is designed to combat human trafficking in America and abroad and through it, human trafficking victims qualify for governmental protection and services (Pierce). This enables the victims to sue and collect damages from

Through reports from two different states – California, and Florida, I further analyzed the efficacy of the TVPA and if it has been a strong foundation in combatting human trafficking.

In recent years, the United States took a major step against human trafficking by the Trafficking of Victims Protection Act (TVPA). In 2000, the United States passed the TVPA, which was the first federal law in the U.S. created to help victims of trafficking and to prosecute the traffickers. The Reauthorization Act of 2003 reaffirms the U.S. government’s commitment to fighting human trafficking, as stated in the 2000 act, and sets aside another $200 million in funding for various projects against this trade. Between the years 2001-2005 the US government significantly stepped up efforts in convicting perpetrators of this crime, filing 91 cases and charging 248 trafficking defendants. Although the United States passed the TVPA, human trafficking is hard to stop because it is very hard to track down and identify the traffickers, and it may be even harder to put victims in each category of trafficking. Many times, victims can be wrongly identified as illegal immigrants or prostitutes, and can be imprisoned or deported. In the TVPA of 2000, the law provided penalties for sex traffickers only if the victim could prove that they were forcefully threatened into prostitution. This being merely impossible to prove, it ensures that the cases will take longer and thus few criminals have actually been indicted under these terms. However, after

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was passed by the U.S Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000. This federal statute possessed the ability to protect the undocumented whom were victims of extreme cases of trafficking. In order for an applicant to be granted the T-Visa, a visa allowing victims and immediate family members to remain in the country, the victim must prove that they were in fact a victim of an extreme form of trafficking and they must also aid in the prosecution of their trafficker.

Currently, Polaris Project is calling on the US to stop “Criminalizing victims of human trafficking”- survivors of trafficking are usually arrested for crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers and reauthorize

The above reasons indicate that most victims will not disclose their status as trafficked victims to the police. It is up to police to proactively look for them. However, this also is problematic. Victims remain hidden for several other reasons as well. As most victims work in the sex industry as prostitutes, and police have historically viewed prostitution as a victimless crime, the police inconsistently make arrests (Vago, 2006). The United States is among many countries that have taken legislative action against human trafficking. Because of its prominent status as a world power, the United States has also been the leader in forcing others to do the same. Every year since 2000, the U.S. Department of State has published the Trafficking

Grant programs were added to help aid law enforcement to combat trafficking. This became larger as it grew to include combating internationally. It included resources to battle sex tourism and help strengthen regulations over government contracts so that they are not made with people or organizations that endorse or take part with human trafficking (Current Federal Laws Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 2015). The final two reauthorizations added more practices to prevent human trafficking as much as possible. It added in a system to report data and all unaccompanied foreign children to be interviewed as a potential victim. This also led to enhancing criminal sanctions towards traffickers. Legislation has helped but the problem is in resources. There are either no resources to use or people aren’t utilizing them to help (Current Federal Laws Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

With the high amount of U.S. victims involved in human trafficking, one might think the government is not doing anything about it. In addition, governmentwide agencies have not developed a way to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts combating international trafficking. However, within the U.S., Congress enabled the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) which allows aliens identified as trafficking victims special benefits and services. By doing so, the U.S. government is able to combat the issue of human trafficking and establish the Interagency Task Force. The reauthorization of this Act requires the Secretary of State to annually report to Congress on foreign governments’ consent with America’s minimum standards for the total elimination of trafficking.

Taken from their website, Polaris project attempts to stop human trafficking by “successfully pushing for stronger federal and state laws, operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline (1-888-373-7888), conducting trainings, and providing vital services to victims of trafficking, Polaris Project creates long-term solutions that move our society closer to a world without slavery” (“Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”). Polaris Project has created a national hotline that anyone who is in danger of human trafficking or feels as if they

One of the organizations, the polaris project, has trained over 80,000 volunteers in the field of rescuing enslaved victims. Ecpat (another organization) was founded in 1990 and has been working ever since 1990 to put an end to the trafficking of children. The anti-slavery act has saved 115,000 enslaved humans from Human Trafficking. A person involved with the anti-slavery stated, “We are involved in many manifestations on many corners of the world.” All these organizations combined have saved millions of lives and are still working. Unfortunately, they have only made a dent in the human trafficked

The United Nations estimates that victims from over 130 different nationalities are trafficked in almost 120 countries. We have to stop the exploitation of human beings and promulgate the enforcement of justice. It is our duty to stand for our belief and preserve the freedom granted to us. As citizens we have to spread awareness about human trafficking, in order to get ride of thousands of years of slavery. Even Though, presidential candidates haven’t address

The misconceptions versus realities and the invisibility of the industry play a role in the growing issue of human trafficking. Many people are under the impression that it does not take place in the United Stated, only other countries. However, that is not the case. Though it is a global problem, it is a national and local problem as well (Weaver 2). Bradley Myles the CEO of Polaris Project, a nonprofit tracking trafficking organization, supports that "one of the biggest myths is that it doesn 't happen here. But it does. In all 50 states" (Calhoun