Place of the Free? Facing Modern Slavery in the U.S.

As we celebrate Juneteenth and think about how we got our freedom, we also need to think about how we are still not free right now.

People sometimes call human trafficking "modern-day slavery," but it's not simply an issue in other countries. It is a catastrophe in the United States that is hidden in plain sight. People, many of them youngsters, are being bought, sold, and used for their own gain in cities, hotels, suburban houses, and even on the internet.

When we think about slavery, we often picture a horrible part of history that is hidden away in books. It includes shackles, cotton fields, and the Emancipation Proclamation. But slavery isn't ended yet. It has only changed shape, gone underground, and become more complicated.

The Global Slavery Index from Walk Free says that almost 1.1 million individuals are living in modern slavery in the US.

Yes, in the country of freedom.

The New Face of Slavery

Forced labour, sex trafficking, domestic servitude, and child exploitation are all forms of modern slavery that are happening right now in the shadows of daily American life.

Traffickers take advantage of people's desperation to force victims to work for them. Victims might be foreign nationals who are tricked into taking fake jobs or American citizens, such as runaway teens, survivors of domestic abuse, and illegal labourers. These people are typically taken advantage of through threats, violence, unpaid salaries, and mind control.

Forced labour helps some industries, such as:

• Farming

• Building

• Housework

• Processing food

• Welcome

At the same time, internet platforms have become new trafficking hubs, where people who are weak are promoted and sold like goods.

Why is this happening in the United States?

Walk Free's study shows that there are a number of structural issues:

Weak protections for workers: In many fields, especially those that use immigrants and low-wage workers, there isn't much control, and abuses go unpunished.

Bad supply chains: American shoppers unintentionally buy seafood, clothes, and gadgets that are related to forced labour in other countries and in the US.

Immigration policy: Victims often don't come forward since there aren't any safe methods to migrate and they are afraid of being deported.

Under-identification: A lot of survivors don't think of themselves as trafficked or are afraid of the police. Law enforcement and other providers often miss the indications.

A Crisis Right in Front of Us

You may have unwittingly come across contemporary slavery today, like a domestic worker in a gated house, a kid being used for money on social media, or a migrant picking crops under duress. These aren't just one-time events; they're signs of an economic and legal system that lets exploitation happen without anybody noticing.

What Can We Do?

It might be hard to handle everything, but we can do it. As people, shoppers, and communities, we can do something:

• Support groups run by survivors that are trying to help people rebuild their lives with dignity and freedom.

• Ask firms to be clear about where and how they make their products.

• Know the indicators of trafficking and call national hotlines if you see something strange.

• Vote for measures that make it easier for workers to preserve their rights, immigrants' rights, and the fight against trafficking.

Beyond Awareness: Moving Towards Responsibility

We can't celebrate freedom when millions of people are quietly held captive. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is a promise that is continuously being kept, not only in the past, but all across the world and even here at home.

It's time to face a terrible truth: America's moral leadership doesn't mean much if

we don't do something about the chains that still hold too many of our neighbours.

We shouldn't just look away. Let's take a deeper look. Let's do something.

No one should ever have to live in slavery, anywhere. Not once.

Source:

Walk Free's Global Slavery Index: United States Country Study, which can be found at https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/united-states/, is the source for this editorial.

Image (c): All Images are generated with AI imaging software Kling 2.0