Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Victims, who are often immigrants, are forced into becoming domestic servants, prostitutes, and laborers in order to pay for the cost of their trip to the United States.

A victim can be taken to the city, the suburbs, or to the countryside. They can be taken anywhere in the United States, and human slavery can exist in the nicest communities.

Not All Victims Are Young Women

While many victims are females in their early teens and twenties, victims can be any age or race. They can be teenagers, young adults or the elderly. They can be American, or they can be brought over to the U.S. from abroad.

Traffickers like to prey on victims who don't have any kind of a safety net. They will seek out people who are vulnerable because they don't speak good English, because they are illegal immigrants, or because they are very poor.

Does the U.S. deport human trafficking victims?

Often, victims of human trafficking are afraid to speak out because they believe they will go to jail or be removed from the U.S. But, a law passed over 15 years ago changed that.

In October 2000, Congress enacted laws that protect human trafficking victims by passing the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, which protects them if they break their silence.

In 2000, Congress created the "T" nonimmigrant status, which protects the victims of human trafficking and allows law enforcement to go after human traffickers.

Are human trafficking and smuggling the same thing? No, they are not. Human trafficking exploits victims, for example, by forcing them to perform sex acts.

Human smuggling is a transportation-based crime that involves people who intentionally break immigration laws so they can bring illegal immigrants into the U.S. This includes illegally bringing people into the U.S. and harboring illegal immigrants who are in the U.S.

If you need legal assistance with any immigration-related matter, contact an immigration attorney for experienced representation.