In the U.S., thousands are brought into our borders to be used as slaves. Thousands of U.S. citizens are enslaved within our borders. Slavery is by no means a foreign issue—it happens right in our back yards.
Just this past week arrests were made and convictions handed down across the country for violations of U.S. anti-slavery laws. Here’s a round-up:
- Detroit: Jean-Claude Kodjo Toviave, a former janitor at the University of Michigan, was arrested on charges of “forced labor, human trafficking and visa and mail fraud.” U.S. Customs Agents raided his home and “found journals detailing abuse written by the victims, who are age 15 to 23.” It is alleged that the freed slaves were brought from Africa and forced into unpaid domestic service in Toviave’s home. Read more (ClickonDetroit.com)
- Kansas City: Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for forced labor trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and fraud in forced labor trafficking. For close to 10 years Mr. Askarkhodjaev led “one of the largest labor racketeering enterprises ever uncovered by U.S. law enforcement.” Read more (Kansas City Star)
- Tennessee: A joint effort between the FBI and the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Department uncovered a human trafficking ring. After a a five-month joint investigation three local men were arrested. According to the local sheriff, the men lured their victims from Mexico “with a promise of a good job” in Tennessee. However, “when the women arrived, they were unable to get hired, and were then forced into prostitution.” Read more (Volunteertv.com)
- North Carolina: In the neighboring state of North Carolina, Amadelia Guardado “has pleaded guilty to charges that she forced a Guatemalan woman to work as a prostitute in Sanford and Winston-Salem to pay an immigration bond” of $3,000. In addition to Ms. Guardado, four other individuals were indicted for “importation of an alien for immoral purposes,” but have yet to enter a plea. Ms. Guardado may be sentenced for up to ten years and may also be subject to a fine and supervised release. Read more (Volunteertv.com)
If you suspect a case of slavery, don’t intervene! But do call the Polaris Project hotline: 1.888.3737.888
Here are some resources about slavery in the U.S.:
Print out the pamphlet: Slavery still exists, and it could be in your own backyard: a community member’s guid to fighting human trafficking and slavery (PDF)
Download the FTS onepager: Slavery in your own backyard (PDF)
