New Report Spotlights Minnesota's Labor Trafficking Problem

A new report documents severe human rights abuses experienced by workers in Minnesota.

The report, which was released Tuesday by the Advocates for Human Rights group, detailed 17 incidents of labor trafficking in Minnesota involving 36 victims over the past five years.

The report identifies failures in the existing government response to trafficking and recommends steps state and federal governments can take to prevent trafficking.

The group said the following incidents illustrate common ways in which traffickers operate:

• An adult woman worked without pay as a nanny while the employer held her immigration documents and threatened to report her to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Seven adult carnival workers on seasonal work visas worked in deplorable conditions under constant threats and received less than minimum wage.
• Two boys were violently forced by gangs to carry drugs.
• An adult woman working in an ethnic restaurant lived with continual threats and tried to pay off a constantly-rising debt to her employer.
• Three adults performed in a cultural group after their employer brought them to the United States with false promises and then kept them isolated and refused to pay their wages.

The report identifies poverty, migration status, criminal history, history of abuse, lack of housing, youth, and disability as characteristics that traffickers exploit to compel people to work.

Women are also at risk for concurrent sex and labor trafficking, according to the report.

In cases involving strip clubs, a victim may be exploited for both her labor (serving drinks, waiting tables) and commercial sex services (stripping, sexual activity for hire). The Advocates heard reports of several individuals who experienced both labor trafficking and sex trafficking.

In July, Patch reported on a Woodbury woman who was charged with human labor trafficking after another woman was found with two black eyes, broken ribs, a broken sternum and numerous bruises.

Imran Ali, assistant attorney in Washington County, which is prosecuting the case, told Minnesota Public Radio the county is investigating other possible cases.

"This is a growing problem with widespread implications," Ali said.

"It's not just Texas or California or Minneapolis or St Paul. It's here in Washington County. It's everywhere."

The report from the Advocate does provide some optimisn regarding the future for human trafficking prevention.

"Minnesota has an opportunity to ensure that all workers, both U.S. and foreign nationals, can freely
choose employment and be fully compensated for their work," the document reads.

"The anti-trafficking movement has made significant progress in the last ten years, while worker movements against labor exploitation are thriving at the state and local level. Minnesota can build on this momentum to address some of the lingering gaps in its protections for all workers.

Read the full report here.

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