California

Nicknamed the “Golden State,” California is the third largest state in area after Alaska and Texas. The discovery of gold and the immigration in 1849 of thousands of “forty-niners” in search of the precious metal helped California’s admission into the Union in 1850. Today, California, land of the giant redwoods, has the highest population of any state in the nation and is America’s principal agricultural state. It is also the home of Hollywood, the center of America’s movie and television industry. Its capital is Sacramento and the state flower is the golden poppy.

Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all over the world, including in California. It is defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit someone for the purpose of forced labor, sexual exploitation, or other forms of abuse. Human trafficking can take many forms, including labor trafficking, domestic servitude, and sex trafficking.

In California, human trafficking is a major problem, particularly in urban areas. There have been many reported cases of labor trafficking in industries such as agriculture, restaurants, and domestic work. There have also been numerous cases of sex trafficking, particularly in the illegal commercial sex industry.

To combat this issue, California has enacted laws to criminalize human trafficking and provide support for victims. The California Department of Justice has a Human Trafficking Task Force, which works to investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking in the state. There are also many non-profit organizations and advocacy groups in California that work to support victims of human trafficking and raise awareness about this issue. If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who may be a victim, there are resources available to help you. You can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or contact local law enforcement for assistance.

 

 

Santa Clarita Unit – SCV Human Trafficking Prevention Summit (3 CEU) on September 29
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Santa Clarita Unit – SCV Human Trafficking Prevention Summit (3 CEU) on September 29

This is a hybrid event but CEUs will only be granted for those who attend in person.  Please join the Santa Clarita Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, Santa Clarita NASW, College of the Canyons, Henry Mayo Hospital, Child and Family Center, Zoe, Saving Innocence, and Higher Ground in the SCV Human Trafficking Summit on September…

Cyclists take cross-country ride to raise awareness about child trafficking
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Cyclists take cross-country ride to raise awareness about child trafficking

Every year, more than 300,000 children become the victim of human sex trafficking in the U.S. Pennsylvania ranks in the top 10 states for trafficking, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Human Trafficking. A group with ties to the Susquehanna Valley is working to put a stop to it, one mile at a time. Kevin…

Anti-human-trafficking film ‘Sound of Freedom’ just topped ‘Indiana Jones’ at box office
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Anti-human-trafficking film ‘Sound of Freedom’ just topped ‘Indiana Jones’ at box office

Verastegui felt called to build a movement to end child sex trafficking. “That’s when I realized I was called to make a movie, but not only a movie, I wanted to dedicate my life, along with Tim and many other soldiers around the world, warriors who are not afraid to fight, to eradicate child trafficking,”…

Trafficking survivor comes out of the shadows to get hotels to curb crime
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Trafficking survivor comes out of the shadows to get hotels to curb crime

The first time Anneke Lucas heard about legislation designed to rescue human trafficking victims in hotels, she couldn’t help but think about how something like that could have helped her as a child. “If I had seen the definition that said I was not a prostitute, that would have made a difference for me,” Lucas…

‘America’s Darkest Secret’: Sex Trafficking, Child Abuse and the Biden Administration
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‘America’s Darkest Secret’: Sex Trafficking, Child Abuse and the Biden Administration

The criminal practice of trafficking and abusing hundreds of thousands of migrant children who cross the southern border is now, thanks to the open-border policy of the Biden Administration, apparently “normal” inside the US: “According to Customs and Border Protection, since January 2021 when Biden took the oath of office, there have been 5,118,661 encounters…

Review into former Vineyard leader alleges ‘patterns’ of ‘spiritual abuse’
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Review into former Vineyard leader alleges ‘patterns’ of ‘spiritual abuse’

Vineyard UK and the leadership of Causeway Coast Vineyard Church (CCV) have apologised after releasing preliminary findings into complaints relating to a former leader. The review was commissioned in February 2023 in response to complaints about pastor Alan Scott and is being carried out by Trusted HR Ltd. Trusted HR said it had “identified themes…

LISTEN: Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos on advocating for migrant farmworkers’ rights
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LISTEN: Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos on advocating for migrant farmworkers’ rights

Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss why we must advocate for better workplace conditions for the people who grow our food.  Iglesias-Ríos, researcher at the University of Michigan and a co-investigator of the Michigan Farmworker Project, also talks about being raised by two strong women, her winding…

Grand Jury Report on Human Sex Trafficking Calls for Increased Resources, Shared Data | The Capistrano Dispatch
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Grand Jury Report on Human Sex Trafficking Calls for Increased Resources, Shared Data | The Capistrano Dispatch

More funding and collaboration is needed to bolster the county’s agencies and stakeholders in combatting human sex trafficking, the Orange County Grand Jury concluded in its latest report published this month. Prior to releasing its findings, the group conducted extensive interviews with county officials, social service personnel and subject matter experts in addition to reviewing…