This page features information on domestic trafficking in the U.S. 

To learn about our international work in 15 field offices, visit the main IJM.org home page.  

 

According to the Polaris Project, an estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States. Many of these victims do not speak and understand English, increasing their isolation and making it difficult for them to seek out the help of service providers and law enforcement. US citizens are also trafficked within our borders. Polaris estimates that 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year.

To report a potential human trafficking case, call:

National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC)

1-888-373-7888

TOLL-FREE | 24 Hours/day, 7 Days/week

Who Are the Victims?

Victims are forced to provide labor or commercial sex, and can be:

  • U.S. citizens or foreign nationals
  • Men, women, or children

Human trafficking can happen in many situations, including in:

  • Commercial sex industry (street prostitution, strip clubs, massage parlors, escort services, brothels, internet)
  • Factories (industrial, garment, meat-packing)
  • Farms, landscaping, or construction
  • Peddling rings, begging rings, or magazine crews
  • Private homes (housekeepers, nannies, or servile marriages)
  • Restaurants, bars, and other service industries (nail or hair salons)

- Source: Polaris Project

Visible indicators of human trafficking may include:

  • Heavy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted.
  • Victims live at the same premises as the brothel or work site or are driven between quarters and "work" by a guard. For labor trafficking, victims are often prohibited from leaving the work site, which may look like a guarded compound from the outside.
  • Victims are kept under surveillance when taken to a doctor, hospital or clinic for treatment; trafficker may act as a translator.
  • High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by a stream of men arriving and leaving the premises