Alia Bolton

Bolton 1

Professor Taylor

English 1A STACC

April 9, 2015

immigration reform and sex trafficking in women and children

There are so many undocumented immigrants in the United States today, about

10 million. If you think you don't know any undocumented immigrants, chances are you

just don't know them well enough. These families are constantly being affected by the

lack of progress on immigration reform, whether it's households with parents of

undocumented children or children with undocumented parents, pain is being caused

because of deportations that should not be happening. Families are constantly coming

here for a better life with more opportunities but then soon realize that due to the

amount of restrictions that undocumented immigrants have its hard to become much

more than what they were working towards in their country. (The restrictions)

President Obama is working towards an executive action plan that will benefit

some undocumented immigrants such as parents and children. This executive action is

a step in the right direction as it is two thousand fifteen it's time we stop ignoring what

so many struggle from everyday. Even though many seem to agree with this plan there

are still millions that don't the majority of those that happen to not agree are

republicans. Some republicans wish to wait and don't want so much power to fall into

the presidents hands with something that could no doubt change the United States

forever. This is an issue that can't wait years of legislation and other official because it

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is active right now, but unfortunately this action plan does have its limits with what it

can do which means that other dire problems such as people that do not benefit from

DACA may have to wait for those official changes to be made.

It is imperative that this executive immigration plan by Obama be followed

through and upheld. Not only does this immigration plan help undocumented

immigrants that are in the US but it can also possibly help sex trafficking victims who

are often also undocumented immigrants. It gives more official status and attention for

these trafficking victims also it will help pave the way for more laws in the future that get

them out of those horrible situations faster. Sex trafficking victims like other

undocumented immigrants that you may know come here to make a positive change

for themselves in their lives but are often unsure and end up trusting the wrong person.

Knowing that there are plans in place that can help and are targeted towards them can

aid these victims in becoming less vulnerable towards traffickers. There are few

resources that undocumented immigrants have but it can sometimes be so difficult for

one to become a citizen and if they have a visa once it expires they're at risk of

deportation and the have to start the process over again. It so competitive for

undocumented immigrants in the US that many will just turn to the illegal way which

makes women and children more susceptible to dangerous situations.

Many of us know how vulnerable undocumented immigrants can be for a

number of crimes whether their the victims or the perpetrators.

"While anyone can become a victim of trafficking, illegal aliens are


highly vulnerable to being trafficked due to a combination of

factors, including lack of legal status and protections, limited

language skills and employment options, poverty and immigration
related debts, and social isolation. August 2008 In Kansas City,

three owners of massage parlors pled guilty to human trafficking.

Ling Xu, Zhong Yan Liu, and Cheng Tang recruited Chinese women

to work as prostitutes at their businesses"

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If you are an undocumented immigrant coming to the US for the first time and

not careful you can easily fall into this horrible trade for countless number of years.

Loneliness can make anyone seek out even the worst of friends. In August 2008, June

2008, December 2007 and along with many others dates business owners were found

to have been harboring undocumented immigrants and human trafficking for uses such

as prostitution stated above and forced to work as bargirls.

Many unaccompanied minors, a large part under the age of two and also

under the age of one, are coming from countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El

Salvador and are taken into custody because they cannot fend for themselves. It is

suspected that thy are abandoned and being trafficked for sale in the hopes of being

part of child pornography, child prostitution and illegal adoptions. The risk for

Honduran children being trafficked in the U.S. for sex, porn and grimmest reality, pains

me mention, but for their organs as well. The coyotes that "help" men, women and

children get across the border are nine times out of ten not to be trusted. These

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transporters may often put children in unspeakable situations by selling them into

prostitution before they get a chance even touch american soil. The children think they

are going on a journey to start their new life and hopefully make history, but never get

close to that (The Immigration crisis and human trafficking).

There are laws in place against human trafficking yet it is still second to drug

dealing as earning the highest income in criminal industries and is rising every year in

different parts of the world. Since some businesses and factories use many forms of

sex trafficking that involve immigrants it's often difficult to bring the trafficking part to

light. Harboring illegal immigrants is more of a common issue in the United States and

will usually be dealt with first possibly not giving sex trafficking as much attention and if

there is not enough press for it that makes the traffickers involved more latitude to do

what they do. This issue of sex trafficking not being in the front of news also keeps

people ignorant to the extreme dangers of it. There are certain places where the law

does not seem to really hold the people responsible for trafficking in the United States

(Immigration Issues).

To hopefully soon put an end to human trafficking the immigration laws in place

must be better enforced by our government. By putting a closer stop to this and

enforcing the laws that is where President Obama's immigration action plan will really

be appreciated. It's an ongoing struggle everyday for undocumented women, men and

children but hopefully more big steps taken by powerful authority figures to bring

awareness to this issue will be taken in the future. Soon it wont be seen as such a

difficult process for undocumented immigrants to gain respect and legal status.

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Summary of research on immigration reform and sex trafficking in women and children

When laying out the issues of immigration and the crime of sex trafficking in

women and children, I also go over certain steps that should be taken towards bringing

this issue to the forefront. Lots of research was done to discover a solution and uncover

the harsh reality of what is going on in this trade in places such as United Staes and

various parts of Europe, no first world countries are immune this dark trade.

The main topic on sex trafficking and immigration that I will focus on is the overall

obvious immoral nature of it and how anyone can be subject to its horrifying
circumstances. Any vulnerable young and even adult women especially ones that are
not originally from the United States can be prone to being sold into sex trafficking.
When being sold into human trafficking there are many uses that the trafficker may
unfortunately have for them, such as prostitution, child pornography, organ selling
unfair labor and many others. So many children and young men and especially women
are being fooled into thinking that they going to have a prosperous life with their
families, but then instead becoming part of the sex trafficking industry. These traffickers
are usually friends of the family or acquaintances that have great communications skills
and can trick anyone into thinking they are working in their favor.

A handful or more of unaccompanied minors are abandoned and end up in the

United States coming from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to later be used for
sex trafficking. These unaccompanied minors are often only one or two years old which
asks the questions, how did they even get there on there own. These children are most

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likely doomed to grow up in this lifestyle and later used for pros tuition when they are
old enough.
There are certain places where the law does not seem to really hold the people
responsible for trafficking in the United States. As drug dealing is one of the largest
criminal businesses, human trafficking is a close second to that and is rising every year
in different parts of the world. Of course anyone can be vulnerable to human trafficking
but illegal immigrants are of highest risk due to their sometimes trusting nature of
people transporting them over the border. In August 2008, June 2008, December 2007
and along with many other dates mention businesses were found guilty of human
trafficking. These business owners smuggled women into the United States and forced
some to waitress and others to work as prostitutes.
Women and girls make up about fifty six percent trafficked for forced labor while
men and boys make up forty four percent it's also said that ninety eight women are
used for commercial sex exploitation and men at two percent. The scary fact is that
with the amount of people trafficked around the world the annual profit is around 44.3
billion dollars. That's just terrifying that 44.3 billion dollars are made a year of human
trafficking its no wonder so many heartless and desperate people do and will continue
to sell other people into this trade to make a living.

The many evils and reality of Human trafficking in the United States now more than

ever are being focused here. Immigrants often pay to be brought to the US and are
duped by people's supposed kind nature only to then be in the hands of traffickers.

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Once in the hand of dangerous traffickers they have no documents, are unsure of their
whereabouts sometimes traveling with family they realize there is to way to get out and
are at the mercy of those keeping them. Recognizing this is a relevant issue and to
help people in this situation you must be aware and prepared to call the police or
organizations that are equipped to save immigrants in this situation.

SWOT analysis
Alia Bolton
Devon Wade
Paola Rosas
Crystal Nestor
Isela Vazquez

Strengths

Weaknesses

- Temporary residency (DREAM Act)

- DACA is not something that is in

process of becoming a law

-Trying to make it a law(DREAM Act)

-Information about immigration

reform( Process of obtaining legal
status) is not publicized enough

-Immigrants will feel like a part of the -Not everyone agrees with
nation/bring people out of margins of
society

immigrations strategies that benefit

undocumented immigrants

-Freedom and possibilities unite

-Begin to unify country, lesson
political partisanship

Opportunities

Threats

-Can receive a green card if you

-Can be deported if you apply and

have a criminal record(DREAM Act)

major in anything that falls under the

STEM program

- A comprehensive reform can raise

- Illegal border crossing will become
wages, increase consumption, create more dangerous
jobs and generate additional tax
- Can deepen political divide within
the country

- Create opportunities for future

immigrants

- Create further strain on already

depleted resources

This analysis relates closely to the positives and negatives pointed out in my

paper in a few ways. This immigration action plan can help many immigrants feels like

they are officially a part of the United States culture and opportunities that come with

being a citizen or being recognized as a soon to be one. I went over points similar to

that and also stated that feeling like you're part of Something it will make you less

susceptible to the dangerous crimes that some minority groups are targeted for. Even

though everyone does not agree that this action plan is the way to going that it should

not be executed with Obama's strategy, it is certainly giving press to immigration

issues winch will intern make it easier for things like this to happen in the future whether

this is successful or not.

Thesis explanation

It would make it so much easier for undocumented immigrants to settle here with

their families if they had the immigration action plan that is being executed by Obama.
Undocumented Sex trafficking victims in the US are the same as undocumented
immigrants in the US the difference is that some unfortunately fall victim to these
horrible circumstances and others don't because of such high vulnerability. If this
action is successfully put in motion and it brings way to others coming to the front
benefitting undocumented immigrants it can also help other sex trafficking in the other

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parts of the world. Other victims in places like Europe will feel better about coming to
the US because they'll know that they'll be more protected here and recognized.

Works Cited

Vance, Carole S. "States Of Contradiction: Twelve Ways To Do Nothing About Trafficking

While Pretending To." Social Research78.3 (2011): 933-948. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24
Mar. 2015.
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"Investigating Illegal Movement of People and Good." U.S Immigration and Customs
Enforcement. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
http://www.ice.gov/human-trafficking

Zurita, Brenda. "Articles: The Immigration Crisis and Human Trafficking." Articles: The
Immigration Crisis and Human Trafficking. N.p., 03 July 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/07
immigration_crisis_and_human_trafficking.html

Immigration Issues." Human Trafficking. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

http://www.fairus.org/issue/human-trafficking-exploitation-of-illegal-aliens

Wheaton, Elizabeth M., Edward J. Schauer, and Thomas V. Galli. "Economics Of Human
Trafficking." International Migration 48.4 (2010): 114-141. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24
Mar. 2015.
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Hepburn, Stephanie, and Rita Simon. "Hidden In Plain Sight: Human Trafficking In The
United States." Gender Issues 27.1/2 (2010): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=50cb6027bf83-4177-9b9b-9e84e2eca262%40sessionmgr110&vid=8&hid=106

Zimmerman, Cathy, et al. "The Health Of Trafficked Women: A Survey Of Women Entering
Posttrafficking Services In Europe." American Journal Of Public Health 98.1 (2008): 55-59.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

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http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=50cb6027bf83-4177-9b9b-9e84e2eca262%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&hid=106

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/19/your-complete-guideto-obamas-immigration-order/#order