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*Blog posts written by survivor authors are marked with an asterisk.
The Rise of Child Labor in the United States
Child labor is a pressing issue that has resurfaced in the United States, raising serious concerns about the protection and rights of minors, as well as increasing opportunities for labor traffickers to exploit disenfranchised youth. Recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) shows a 14% rise in overall child
Unveiling Exploitative Practices in the Meat Industry
During the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers were recognized for their vital contributions to keeping our country running, spanning industries such as childcare, transportation, and the food industry. New research and investigations however, shed light on the grim reality faced by many workers, like those in meat processing and demonstrate how unethical companies used our countries
Summary and Analysis of “An Exploratory Study of Labor Trafficking Among U.S. Citizen Victims”
By Maddie Lerum & Regina Bernadin When it comes to research studies on labor trafficking within the United States, a majority of existing research literature is focused on immigrant victims—those who come to the U.S. through legal channels (e.g., H2A/H2B visas) as well as undocumented immigrants. Though incredibly important populations to study, the experience of
*The Forgotten Victims of the Anti-Trafficking Movement: Those Who Commit Crimes
By James Dold The 2019 U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child noted that children can become victims of several human rights violations, including being used in hostilities, trafficking, sexual exploitation, child marriage, or being used to transport or sell drugs. The U.S. anti-trafficking apparatus, however, has yet to name what is screaming out to us through the laws and facts of these cases. Those
Fair Trade Month and Labor Trafficking
By Madison Lerum What is Fair Trade? Fair Trade. You might have seen this label stamped on coffee grounds, or stuck to a bushel of bananas. But what exactly does Fair Trade mean, and why is it so important that there’s an entire month dedicated to it? According to Fair Trade Certified: “When you see
COVID-19 & Visas for Victims of Trafficking: Considering the Pandemic’s Effect on American Immigration and Worker Exploitation
By Kate Fintel To be able to live the American dream: that is the opportunity of a lifetime for many around the world. But as the COVID-19 global pandemic intensified, that opportunity became even more of a fantasy than an attainable goal. The number of refugees, asylees, and temporary workers allowed into the country was
