Did you know that Houston is a hub for HUMAN TRAFFICKING??
As you’re driving down the street every day, past shopping centers, have you ever wondered to yourself what goes on behind closed doors at your neighborhood workout studios, massage parlors and spas, nail salons, restaurants and cantinas, etc.?
Well, this may come as a shock, but most of those places are fronts for human trafficking. The criminal rings behind the scenes are not only dealing in drugs or guns, but they are selling people. They are selling men, women, and children, of all ages and backgrounds!
Many people think that human trafficking is a crime that only happens in third world countries. Many people assume that human trafficking occurs in dark alleys, when in actuality, most human trafficking happens in plain sight.
Human trafficking – otherwise known as modern day slavery – occurs every day, in every day places. Individual men, women, and children, are made to work against their will. Trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will. Force, fraud, or coercion need not be present if the individual engaging in commercial sex is under 18 years of age.
Many “so-called women” in the sex trade are actually children dressed up to look like adults. Children, particularly girls ages 12 to 14 years, are becoming victims of sex trafficking. But adults are no safer than children, as many women and men are also lured by traffickers with promises of better lives and better jobs, and then sold to other handlers.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, sex trafficking is the fastest growing business of organized crime and the third largest criminal enterprise in the world. According to a 2017 study by researchers at the University of Texas, it is estimated that “313,000 people in Texas are victims of human trafficking, with 79,000 minors and youth as sex workers.” And it seems that Houston has become a hub for human trafficking which may be due to its close proximity to the border, as well as its proximity to the I-10 corridor, between El Paso and Houston, which is the country’s most used trafficking path.
Many individuals initially consent to being smuggled into the United States with hopes of better lives, but then once in the United States the smuggling turns into trafficking through force, fraud, coercion, or exploitation of the individual for labor or commercial sex purposes. Of course, not all individuals smuggled into the United States are turned into human trafficking cases.
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Additionally, some individuals come over from abroad from India, the Philippines, Russia, etc. with job prospects and are brought over on actual U.S. visas, but once they legally enter the United States, the terms of their “so-called employment” changes.
Traffickers use social media to lure victims as well as to advertise their services. These traffickers include your neighborhood predators to various gangs/gang members. Traffickers use various ploys and tactics to entrap their victims using coercion, drugs, fraud and manipulation to lure these children, women, and men into a life of abuse, addiction, poverty and illness, which includes physical and mental illness and instability.
Overall, no one is immune from becoming a victim of trafficking, as victims range from runaway juveniles, to legal or illegal aliens.
Call Pegah Rahgozar Houston immigration attorney at (832) 792-3636 and we will guide you through all the details of whether you are trafficking victim and what the immigration process will entail. Houston immigration attorney Pegah Rahgozar will help you collect the necessary documents, prepare an application for a trafficking visa, hold your hand through the complex and stressful process, and ensure a positive solution to your case.
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Here are some ways to keep alert of human trafficking:
Top Venues/Industries for Labor or Sex Trafficking:
• Domestic work
• Illicit Activities
• Traveling Sales Crews
• Retail/Small Businesses
• Construction
• Restaurants/Cantinas
• Nail Salons/Massage Parlors/Spas
• Hotel/Motel
• Residence-Based Commercial Sex/Escort Services/Online Ads
Some Red Flags to Look for at Certain Establishments (Such as Massage Parlors, Spas, and Nail Salons):
• Does the establishment have the required state license to operate the business (if one is required)?
• Does the business operate normal business hours or are they operating 24/7?
• Does the business have irregular staff every few weeks?
• Does the staff get regular time off from work or do they work around-the-clock?
• Are you allowed to converse with the staff or does management forbid their staff from saying anything?
• Does the staff seem nervous, anxious, or fearful, or show signs of poor physical or mental health?
• Does the establishment offer services below market value?
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The Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign Lists the Following Indicators of Human Trafficking:
• Is the victim in possession of identification and trafficking documents? If not, who has control of the documents?Was the victim coached on what to say to law enforcement and immigration officials?
• Was the victim recruited for one purpose and forced to engage in some other job?
• Is the victim’s salary being garnished to pay off a smuggling fee?
• Was the victim forced to perform sexual acts?
• Does the victim have freedom of movement?
• Has the victim or family been threatened with harm if the victim attempts to escape?
• Has the victim been threatened with deportation or law enforcement action?
• Has the victim been harmed or deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care, or other life necessities?
• Can the victim freely contact family or friends?
• Is the victim a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
• Is the victim allowed to socialize or attend religious events?
Think you or someone you know is or may have been a victim of human trafficking in sex or in labor?
Call Pegah Rahgozar Houston immigration attorney at
(832) 792-3636
Lets discuss whether your situation constitutes 
human trafficking and whether you qualify for a Trafficking (T) Visa.
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Ms. Pegah Rahgozar is your Houston Immigration Attorney experienced to handle your
T Visa case!
We hope to talk to you soon about your case. In the meantime, here are some helpful websites and phone numbers where you can get more information on human trafficking:
City of Houston
National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888