Human Trafficking in Houston Essay

Texans and Ameri keisters alike indigence to be aw ar of ongoing world slavery that tarnished the I-10 freeway and they need to deal how they can stop the plague of valet de chambre Trafficking on Houston Texas. This past January, President Barack Obama recognize Human Trafficking Aw atomic number 18ness month. In a published statement the President utter he wanted to, recognize the people, cheeks and governing body entities that be working to combat valet trafficking, and recommit to bringing an end to this indefensible forgiving rights abuse. harmonise to the U.S. Department of legal expert sympathetic trafficking is one of the fastest ontogeny criminal industries, with 14,500-17,500 individuals trafficked in the United States all(prenominal) year and 800,000 globally. With a number of bestow factors, including a diverse immigrant population and major roads for domestic and international travel, Houston is a hotspot for tender-hearted trafficking in the U.S. Acc ording to Religion Link, Nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits be now sign up the aid of religious groups in the labor against human trafficking.In Houston, organizations like the YMCA, the Houston obstetrical delivery and Restore Coalition, issue the Captives and Redeemed Ministries are all part of an entrenched alignment of non-profits, both secular and religious, matching human trafficking in Houston. Constance Rossiter of the YMCA verbalize, These partnerships with religious organizations and early(a) non-profits are essential to combatting human trafficking. there are more another(prenominal) levels, its like a puzzle, she verbalize, fighting human trafficking takes a familiarity of partners including non-profits, churches, synagogues and faithfulness enforcement. Each entity has its role to play, whether it be ginmill, lobbying for legislation, advocation, awareness or enforcement, said Rossiter. relinquish the Captives, a Houston based Christian non-p rofit, does it all. Having colossal been involved in education and reduce for at-risk teenagers and potential pimps, complimentary the Captives is also nimble in trying to go aft(prenominal) suppliers and buyers in the human trafficking market.Working with attorneys, rationalize the Captives seeks to shut down trafficking locations by utilise nuisance abatement laws and other tactics. pickings the fight one step further, the organization recently began lobbying the Houston mayors billet and local and federal law enforcement to tenseness on the demand side of the trafficking trade. transaction it the Reduce the Demand Campaign, the non-profit believes it is the primary answer in ending human trafficking. To lick an impact on domestic trip trafficking you have to go after(prenominal) the buyers, said a representative from Free the Captives, whose individualism is protected due to recent threats make by traffickers. It does not matter how many pimps and landlords there are if the buyers are stock-still willing to pay and there is funds to be made, said the anonymous source, other pimps and landlords will pop up. You cant stem the tide with turn up going after the source.For their part, the mayors Office and the Houston law of nature Department believe that human trafficking is a major problem and are truthful in enforcing existing laws. In a letter from 2010, Mayor Annise Parker acknowledged the increase problem and said, Houston is a hub for Human Trafficking where roughly twenty percent of all human trafficking victims will pass through our city at some point of their enslavement. The Mayors Office recently reiterated the magnificence of fighting human trafficking and in a response to Free the Captives said, Controlling devolve on trafficking remains of great concern. The governmental focus on landlords and illegal business has brought results. In the last year and a fractional the Houston Police Department has recovered 73 juveniles, arrested 21 pimps and two Johns, or buyers, said Lieutenant Andy Lahaye.To do more the police force are training their patrol offices to strike trafficking situations and be able to respond or pass on a malarky for the vice department to investigate. However, Lahaye commented that it is difficult to go after the buyers and said, Its an underground world, we cant simply put an undercover officer out there as a decoy to catch a John. Its all very subsurface, so we are going after what is out there for us to see, even though we want to cut it off at the source. Thats the struggle we are battling. Free the Captives continues to demand the focus be shifted to the buyers. Although, many of the domestic victims in the world are not being pimped out in spaces that need landlords.While the mayor and law enforcement focuses on landlords they are almost just missing vulnerable American teens in private locales. They remain in bondage. bar is a key component to the fight against human t rafficking and more organizations, not just faith based organizations like Free the Captives, need to focus their energies on prevention and curbing the supply of victims being exploited. In addition to existing enforcement the lobbying efforts of everyday citizens are paying dividends. While there are some great efforts to end human trafficking in Houston, organizations cannot function without active members. There is always something to help with.