Nebraska

Nebraska gets its name from an Indian word meaning “flat water” after the Platte River that flows through the state. The Nebraska Territory was formed in 1854 at the same time as the Kansas Territory. Nebraska was admitted into the Union in 1867 as the 37th state. Its nickname, “Cornhusker State,” refers to the way that corn (a leading product of the state) was commonly harvested, “husking” it by hand, before the invention of husking machinery. Another nickname, the “Beef State,” refers to one of Nebraska’s main industries, cattle. Omaha has been a major meatpacking center since the 1880s. Although Omaha was the territorial capital, Lincoln, named in honor of the 16th president, is the state capital. The flower is the goldenrod.

Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all around the world, including in Nebraska. It is a form of modern slavery in which individuals are exploited for labor, sexual exploitation, or other purposes.

According to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Nebraska has consistently had relatively low numbers of human trafficking cases reported compared to other states in the United States. In 2020, the state ranked 43rd in the country for the number of cases reported to the hotline, with a total of 18 cases.

Human trafficking can take many forms in Nebraska, including forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. It often affects vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, children, and people who are homeless or in poverty.

If you suspect that someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, there are steps you can take to help. You can report the situation to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by text at 233733. You can also contact local law enforcement or a trusted organization that provides services to victims of human trafficking. It is important to remember that the safety of the victim should be the top priority and to handle the situation with care and sensitivity.

 

 

Wayne hosts human trafficking and domestic violence training
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Wayne hosts human trafficking and domestic violence training

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, Haven House and the Wayne Police Department will be presenting a human trafficking and domestic violence awareness training March 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.   Officer Domenic Consoli from the Wayne Police Department and Haven House will be leading the first hour of the presentation. Consoli will define what domestic…

Overcoming Our Blind Spots: Pharmacists Can Help Address Human Trafficking
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Overcoming Our Blind Spots: Pharmacists Can Help Address Human Trafficking

My mind still wanders to her. I remember her broken and hollow smile, tattered jeans, deep frown lines, gaunt frame, and overall appearance and manner that were weary and aged well beyond those of a 28-year-old. She sat under the facility’s fluorescent lights, wringing her dry, cracked hands and trying to carefully, almost apologetically, explain…

Parents helped get 14-year-old daughter a night job cleaning at beef plant
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Parents helped get 14-year-old daughter a night job cleaning at beef plant

Child labor in the meatpacking industry has been getting a lot of attention, but what role, if any, have the parents played? A Nebraska county court case is providing answers from one family, and it’s not pretty. The mother of a 14-year-old girl, who worked the night shift at JBS Grand Island doing sanitation work,…

Omaha based Project Harmony's anti-trafficking team collaborates to heal survivors' trauma
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Omaha based Project Harmony's anti-trafficking team collaborates to heal survivors' trauma

Alia Conley  In a room full of friendly faces, Diamond Johnson smiled at one in particular. “That’s Angie,” Johnson nodded toward Angie Temple, a former anti-trafficking specialist at Project Harmony. “She puts up with me.” Johnson, a sex trafficking survivor now 20 years old, explained how Temple gained her trust when Johnson was scared and…

'It happens in casinos every single day': Lincoln Warhorse staff get human trafficking training
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'It happens in casinos every single day': Lincoln Warhorse staff get human trafficking training

4 hours agoLINCOLN, Neb (KLKN) – Warhorse and its parent company, Ho-Chunk Inc., say they’re working to stop human trafficking before it begins. This week, they held training sessions with over 100 employees who will eventually be working in their new hotels and casinos in Nebraska. Rachael Johnson, director of government affairs for Ho-Chunk, said…

TN AG Skrmetti Joins Bipartisan Effort Calling on Congress to Improve Federal-State Coordination
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TN AG Skrmetti Joins Bipartisan Effort Calling on Congress to Improve Federal-State Coordination

Nashville – Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, in partnership with 35 other state attorneys general, sent a letter to Congressional leaders informing them of an issue of grave concern with the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The letter requests assistance from Congress to preserve the critical joint federal-state effort to end trafficking. Since 2007, Polaris has…

California lawmakers revive effort to ban involuntary servitude as punishment for crimes
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California lawmakers revive effort to ban involuntary servitude as punishment for crimes

Last year, voters in Vermont, Oregon, Tennessee and Alabama approved historic ballot measures that removed slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime from their state constitutions, which could lead to limitations on forced prison labor. They joined a growing list of states that passed similar initiatives in recent years, including Nebraska, Utah and Colorado….

Paid fines indicate meat industry's use of child labor is more widespread than previously known
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Paid fines indicate meat industry's use of child labor is more widespread than previously known

If Homeland Security is investigating the meat industry for human trafficking as was reported, it could be a long time before anything specific about that is known. But the Labor Department has now imposed monetary penalties totaling $1.5 million on a labor contractor who placed more than 100 children into hazardous meat industry jobs. Those…

Meat plant cleaning service fined $1.5M for hiring minors to work in Colorado, other states
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Meat plant cleaning service fined $1.5M for hiring minors to work in Colorado, other states

By Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — One of the country’s largest cleaning services for food processing companies employed more than 100 children in dangerous jobs at 13 meatpacking plants across the country, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday as it announced over $1.5 million in civil penalties. The investigation into Packers Sanitation Services…

Meat plant cleaning service fined $1.5 million for hiring minors across US
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Meat plant cleaning service fined $1.5 million for hiring minors across US

The Department of Labor says the company employed more than 100 children in jobs at 13 U.S. meatpacking plants, including George’s and Tyson in Arkansas. SPRINGDALE, Ark. — One of the country’s largest cleaning services for food processing companies employed more than 100 children in dangerous jobs at 13 meatpacking plants across the country, the…