Department of Homeland Security

The United States Department of Homeland Security is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries.

Opinion | Human trafficking threatens our society – Daily Illini
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Opinion | Human trafficking threatens our society – Daily Illini

In the United States, slavery may be remembered as an abolished practice of the past, but it is still happening here today. It has been carried on through a new, illegal outlet: human trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor…

Human Trafficking and ORC: The Dark Truth behind Retail Crime Networks – Loss Prevention Magazine
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Human Trafficking and ORC: The Dark Truth behind Retail Crime Networks – Loss Prevention Magazine

Organized retail crime (ORC) has been top-of-mind for all loss prevention professionals in recent years due to its financial impact. The FBI estimates that ORC crimes cost the US approximately $30 billion each year, with a large percentage of that money funding other, darker criminal activities. Kevin Metcalf “When you’re looking at organized retail crime,…

Washington State man indicted for sex trafficking and production of child pornography
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Washington State man indicted for sex trafficking and production of child pornography

Seattle – A 32-year-old Washington State man was indicted this week for seven federal felonies concerning sex trafficking, production of child pornography, and illegal firearms possession, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.  Dominique Terrel Gonzales resided in both Seattle and Vancouver, Washington, during the period when he preyed on young women, forcing them into prostitution.  Gonzales…

Eight Defendants Indicted for Human Smuggling and Drug Conspiracy
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Eight Defendants Indicted for Human Smuggling and Drug Conspiracy

Eight individuals were charged in an indictment, unsealed today in the Eastern District of Louisiana, for their involvement in an international scheme to smuggle 24 undocumented individuals from Honduras into Louisiana aboard the Motor Vessel (M/V) “Pop,” which is owned by one of the defendants. One of the defendants was also arrested for conspiring to…

State senator: Denying abortions does a favor for human trafficking victims – Florida Phoenix
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State senator: Denying abortions does a favor for human trafficking victims – Florida Phoenix

A Florida Senate Republican has produced a novel explanation for refusing to include exemptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking in the state’s 15-week abortion ban: Pregnancy makes it harder for traffickers to exploit women. In other words, Sen. Ileana Garcia told voters on April 26 in Miami, the women no longer would be a…

ATEST Testifies to House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on Ways to Plug Gaps in U.S. Anti-trafficking Programs
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ATEST Testifies to House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on Ways to Plug Gaps in U.S. Anti-trafficking Programs

April 27, 2022 • 8:37 am • Terry FitzPatrick ATEST is was well represented at Wednesday’s herring of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Speakers at the session included: ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick (see written testimony here) ATEST member organization Human Trafficking Legal Center Founder and President Martina Vandenberg (see written…

Boston Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking
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Boston Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking

BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted on sex trafficking and cocaine charges stemming from his alleged maintenance of a drug and sex trafficking hub operating out of a tent at Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard (Mass and Cass).

Guest Worker Visas and Labor Trafficking: Weaknesses in the H2 Visa Programs
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Guest Worker Visas and Labor Trafficking: Weaknesses in the H2 Visa Programs

Exploitation is practically written into immigration and foreign labor policy Original document: March 12, 2022 We offer this article in audio form. It’s generated by a program; apologies for any weirdness. Introduction Where immigration policy and anti-human trafficking initiatives meet, loopholes are often created that allow for the continued exploitation and trafficking of foreign laborers…

Polaris CEO Named to Homeland Security Advisory Council
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Polaris CEO Named to Homeland Security Advisory Council

I am honored to be named to the Homeland Security Advisory Council under Secretary Mayorkas’s leadership. While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is best known for its role in fighting terrorism, the work of this agency also sits at the very heart of the nation’s response to human trafficking. Within the Department, Homeland…