<![CDATA[THE COOK COUNTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE

<![CDATA[THE COOK COUNTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE - Blog]]>Wed, 06 May 2026 01:27:05 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Undocumented Minors and Their Vulnerability to Human Trafficking]]>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 01:30:31 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/undocumented-minors-and-their-vulnerability-to-human-traffickingMigration is not a new concept and has been occurring throughout the world for many years. Migration can be voluntary or involuntary and can occur for a variety of different reasons. Some of these reasons include economic, environmental, and social issues. In the United States, we are always hearing about migrants crossing over the border to seek out a new life and new opportunities. To be more specific, this post will be talking about Illinois and the city of Chicago to give you a relation to what’s happening in our own back yard. It is also important to understand that while numbers will be used for prevalence, this is not 100% accurate as there are cases that go unreported.

Since 2022, Chicago has welcomed over 20,000 asylum seekers and migrants into the city1. With the influx of migrants entering Chicago, in fiscal year 2023, 3,271 were unaccompanied children. 2An unoccupied minor is someone without legal status who enters the United States that is under the age of 18 and is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. 3Imagine being a child and one day making the decision to leave behind everything you know in hopes for more because you can no longer stay and live the way you are. Going into a new country is always a new learning experience for anyone. Different culture, language and even laws. When you are now living there, your immigration status plays a role as well.

These barriers make unoccupied minors very susceptible to of being trafficked for sexual, labor, or criminal exploitation. Instinct drives the minors into survival mode to make money for themselves along with having the pressure to send money back home. A lot of the time, the minors are sending money back home to their families but are in debt. Their debts usually come from sponsors for smuggling fees, rent and living expenses. This is a cycle that leads children into labor trafficking. Children being forced to work in dangerous jobs just to pay off the debts and support their families. The fact that they are children slides under the radar because companies rely of staffing agencies or temp agencies where it is not always a requirement to check social security numbers. There are circumstances where unoccupied children come into the US and Chicago by false pretenses only to be coerced into labor.

There is the notion that trafficking only occurs in far places, but it happens in our local communities as well. September of this year, three defendants pleaded guilty to forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor in Chicago. According to a press release from the Unites States Attorney’s Office Central District of Illinois,

“The defendants conspired to bring in two minors’ victims from Guatemala to the USA to work in their homes between December 2015 and March 2021. The defendants compelled the victims to provide domestic services within the homes and to work outside the homes at local hotels and factories. The defendants used false promises of a better life and an education to gain the permission of the victims’ mothers for their minor daughters to travel to the United States to live with the defendants. The defendants isolated the victims in their homes, restricted their communications with their family in Guatemala and subjected them to physical, verbal, and psychological abuse, among other coercive means.”

You may ask yourselves; how do we prevent this from happening to the migrants coming into Chicago?

The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force are working to train and inform local organizations on human trafficking, what to look out for and to help migrants know their rights. Heartland Alliance also has a residential program for undocumented minors coming into Chicago where they receive case management services, education, medical and clinical care while they are waiting to be united with their sponsor or family4. Additionally, Stop-It provides intensive case management to any survivor of trafficking and operates a drop-in center for female identified survivors aged 14-29. Most importantly, it is crucial that we work together to protect all migrants especially undocumented minors.

United States State Attorney’s Office Central District of Illinois (2023, September 11) “Illinois Family Members Plead Guilty to Kidnapping, Forced Labor and Conspiracy for Coercing Two Minors and a Third Victim in Years-Long Forced Labor Scheme”( Press Release)

[1]The City of Chicago, “FAQ’s”, Accessed December 13th, 2023, https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/texas-new-arrivals/home/faqs.html#:~:text=Why%20are%20individuals%20and%20families,%2C%20Colorado%2C%20and%20New%20York.
[2] Office of Refugee Resettlement, “Unaccompanied Children Released to Sponsors by State” (Dec. 2023), Accessed December 13th, 2023, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/grant-funding/unaccompanied-children-released-sponsors-state
[3] National Immigration Justice Center A Heartland Alliance Program, “Unaccompanied Immigrant Children” Accessed December 13th, 2023, https://immigrantjustice.org/issues/unaccompanied-immigrant-children
[4]https://www.heartlandalliance.org/program/unaccompanied-children/#:~:text=The%20Unaccompanied%20Children%20program%20provides,for%20immigrant%20and%20refugee%20children.

Author: Erica Miller, Assistant Program Manager, The Salvation Army STOP-IT Program

]]><![CDATA[Differentiating Types of Trafficking (Labor vs Sex)]]>Sat, 13 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/differentiating-types-of-trafficking-labor-vs-sex

Labor trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Labor trafficking includes situations of debt bondage, forced labor, and involuntary child labor. Common types of labor trafficking include people forced to work in homes as domestic servants, farmworkers coerced through violence as they harvest crops, or factory workers held in inhumane conditions with little to no pay.

Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Sex traffickers frequently target victims and then use violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and manipulation to keep victims involved in the sex industry for their own profit. Sex trafficking exists within diverse and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, and elsewhere.

Source: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking

]]><![CDATA[Sweat & Toil App]]>Fri, 12 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/sweat-toil-app

Sweat & Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World is a comprehensive resource developed by ILAB documenting child labor and forced labor worldwide. Data and research in this app are taken from ILAB's three flagship reports: Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor; List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor; and List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor. This app fits these three information-packed reports the size of a phone book in the palm of your hand. Seven things you can do with this app are:

Check countries' efforts to eliminate child labor
Find child labor data;
Browse goods produced with child labor or forced labor;
Review laws, ratifications, and enforcement efforts;;
See what governments can to do end child labor; and
Browse USDOL's projects to combat child labor and forced labor;
Explore visualizations of USDOL's child labor and forced labor data!

Using this app can be a starting point to empower yourself with knowledge about child labor or forced labor around the world. Anyone with an interest in these issues - governments, businesses, academics, civil society, and consumers - can use it as a source of information to begin asking questions, taking action, and demanding change.

Download the iPhone app or download the Android app and see what can you do to help.

Read more from the DOL at https://www.dol.gov/general/apps/ilab www.dol.gov/general/apps/ilab

]]><![CDATA[#WearBlueDay 2024]]>Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:39:29 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/wearblueday-2024January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and a time for everyone to come together to raise awareness of and help combat this heinous crime. January 11 marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, also known as #WearBlueDay. On this day, Blue Campaign invites you to:
Wear blue, the international color of human trafficking awareness, to state your commitment to help save lives. Need inspiration? See how others have participated in previous years.
Post a photo of yourself, or with others, on social media using the hashtag #WearBlueDay. You can also download ready-to-use #WearBlueDay graphics and captions to post on your social channels to spread the word.
Empower others in your community to do the same. Follow @DHSBlueCampaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and visit DHS.gov/Blue-Campaign/WearBlueDay for more information about #WearBlueDay, upcoming events, and other anti-human trafficking efforts in January and throughout the year.
]]><![CDATA[Myths & Misconceptions Monday]]>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 23:11:05 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/myths-misconceptions-mondayMyth: All human trafficking involves commercial sex

Reality: Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to get another person to provide labor or commercial sex. Worldwide, experts believe there are more situations of labor trafficking than of sex trafficking. However, there is much wider awareness of sex trafficking in the United States than of labor trafficking.

Myth: Human trafficking only happens in illegal or underground industries

Reality: Human trafficking cases have been reported and prosecuted in industries including restaurants, cleaning services, construction, factories and more.

Myth: If the trafficked person consented to be in their initial situation, then it cannot be human trafficking or against their will because they “knew better”

Reality: Initial consent to commercial sex or a labor setting prior to acts of force, fraud, or coercion (or if the victim is a minor in a sex trafficking situation) is not relevant to the crime, nor is payment.

Source: Myths & Facts | National Human Trafficking Hotline

]]><![CDATA[3 Common Myths & Misconceptions about Human Trafficking]]>Sun, 07 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/3-common-myths-misconceptions-about-human-traffickingNumerous myths and misconceptions exist when talking about human trafficking. Many of these myths attempt to explain what human trafficking is and who it impacts. When in reality, human trafficking is much more complex, and happening in plain sight.

Myth #1: Only women and girls can be victims and survivors of human trafficking.

Fact: One study estimates that 50% of individuals affected by sex trafficking are male. Advocates argue that percentage may be even higher but that male victims are far less likely to be identified. LGBTQ boys and young men are particularly vulnerable to trafficking.

Myth #2: Traffickers target victims they do not know.

Fact: Many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.

Myth #3: Human trafficking involves moving or transporting a person across state or national borders.

Fact: Human trafficking is frequently confused with human smuggling, which involves illegal border crossings. The crime of human trafficking does not require any movement whatsoever. Survivors can be recruited and trafficked in their own home towns, even their own homes.

Source: Myths & Facts - National Human Trafficking Hotline https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/myths-facts

Author: Ciara Sheeran, Stop-It Program

]]><![CDATA[Disability Justice and Human Trafficking Organization (NHTDWG)]]>Sat, 06 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/disability-justice-and-human-trafficking-organization-nhtdwgPersons with developmental disabilities are at increased risk of human trafficking. There are many factors contributing to this risk including higher rates of unemployment, low payment for work, increased likely of social isolation, and decreased likelihood of receiving appropriate education about healthy relationships, sexuality, and relationship safety skills.

The National Human Trafficking and Disabilities Working Group (NHTDWG) offers on-demand training and education, consultation, and resources around the intersection of human trafficking and disabilities.

For NHTDWG reports, past trainings, and educational materials on the intersection of human trafficking and disabilities or for on demand training and information on how to request a speaker for your event, please visit - iofa.org/national-trafficking-disabilities-working-group/.

Author: Dr. Frederika C. Theus, Licensed Clinical Psycholoist

]]><![CDATA[5 INTERNET SAFETY RULES OF THUMB]]>Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:55:42 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/5-internet-safety-rules-of-thumb(Adapted from Welcome to the Internet: Online Safety from Love146)

The internet is a great place. It is where we find funny dog videos, new recipes, and keep in touch with that one person from middle school that we kinda-maybe remember. The internet lets us connect with lots of people, but it is important to remember that interacting with people online can get complicated.

Here are some helpful tips and tricks to keep yourself safe from online creepers:

1. DON'T TRUST THE DEFAULT PRIVACY SETTINGS
Think of it this way: When you’re hanging out online it’s like being in your own room. But if you want privacy in your room, you can shut your door. Unfortunately, most websites, social media apps, or gaming devices come to you with the door wide open so that anybody, even creeps, can chat with you. (Worst of all, sometimes it’s almost impossible to tell that they’re creeps.) But you can take steps to help keep them out. Most of these websites, apps, and games have settings that allow you to shut the door. You just need to change your privacy settings so that only your real friends can connect with you. If you need help learning how to do this, here’s a page with quick links to the privacy settings pages for common apps, websites, and gaming devices.

2. HAVE AN EXIT PLAN
If someone is bugging you or talking to you in a way you don’t like, you can unfriend or block them, and you shouldn’t hesitate to! (Report them through the app, too, if something is getting really sketchy). If you’re talking to or being followed by people who aren’t your close friends, avoid posting things that reveal how to find you in real life (like the name of your school, where your soccer team practices, etc). It could also be smart to make sure that your user name or handle is different from your real name, that way if you get into a conversation that’s making you uncomfortable you can exit it without the fear of someone tracking you down.

3. BE A TINY BIT PARANOID
If you send or post a picture, you can’t always control how it’s being seen—or how it’s being shared by others. If you feel like there’s any chance that the picture could get into the wrong hands, don’t risk it, don’t share or post it.

4. STAY IN SAFE ONLINE PLACES
Just as you wouldn’t walk down dark alleys alone at night, you should avoid creepy places online and creepy apps. You could stumble on photos or videos you don’t want to see (or maybe are even illegal!), or end up connecting with people who are looking to take advantage of you. Follow your gut, and don’t walk down the alleyways of the Internet.

5. TELL SOMEONE
If you ever feel uncomfortable or think that something is sketchy, tell an adult you trust! Whether it’s a teacher, a parent or a school counsellor. It’s better to talk to someone about it now, even if it means you have to confess something you did or it’s difficult to share. If you wait it could become a bigger problem. If you’d like, you can also talk to someone anonymously by calling the CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678.

How do you know when someone has bad intentions or is just being really friendly?

Click this link for the full article with red flag phrases, more tips, and lots of memes: https://love146.org/online-safety/

Author: Anna Pastor, CCHTTF

]]><![CDATA[5 HEALTH CARE MYTHS ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING]]>Wed, 03 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/5-health-care-myths-about-human-traffickingMyth: Human Trafficking is a violent crime that almost always leaves victims/survivors with physical injuries.

Reality: Human Trafficking may involve physical violence, but more often traffickers use elements of psychological coercion, emotional abuse, exploitation of vulnerabilities and fear based control to lure and entrap victims into being trafficked.

https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/myths-facts
www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking

Myth: A Healthcare provider can identify a Human Trafficking victim/survivor just by looking at them.

Reality: A physical assessment may reveal clues based on suspicious injuries. However, healthcare providers typically rely on a variety of screening tools that use direct questions, medical history, and disclosures to identify red flags that indicate Human Trafficking may be present.

https://nhttac.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/adult_human_trafficking_screening_tool_and_guide.pdf

Myth: Life threatening injuries, broken bones, bruises, and severe genital injuries are the main types of physical harm that Human Trafficking Survivors/Victims will experience while being trafficked.

Reality: Typical health problems survivors/victims: Sexually transmitted Infections, malnourishment, chronic infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, respiratory distress, substance abuse and mental health crises, mutilations from a mature medical interventions, infertility or pregnancy complications.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/orr/health_problems_seen_in_traffick_victims.pdf

Myth: It’s important to make sure Human Trafficking Survivors/victims have some type of insurance to get medical help.

Reality: An emergency department cannot not turn away a survivor/victim of human trafficking seeking health care because they don’t have insurance. The Affordable Care act provides financial assistance and support for survivors/victims that includes Medicaid, Children’s Healthcare Insurance Program, Refugee Assistance and programs for those who may not qualify for other financial assistance to ensure that the survivor/victim has access to immediate free health care.

https://htcourts.org/guide-chapter7.htm

Myth: Human trafficking victims/survivors are an urban problem and are mostly seen by County hospitals or Health departments.

Reality: Human Trafficking can be found everywhere, and impacts communities of all sizes, demographics and income levels. Hospitals in all areas need to be equipped and ready to care for this particular type of patient.

https://engagetogether.com/2017/12/22/human-trafficking-101-happens-everywhere/

Author: Chenel Vanden Berk, BS, JD, RN, SANE-A,SANE-P

]]><![CDATA[2023 Data Collection Profile: Bureau of Justice Statics]]>Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:05:25 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/2023-data-collection-profile-bureau-of-justice-staticsAuthor: Nora Coghlan, The Salvation Army STOP-IT program

Each year, the Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015 requires that the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) prepares a report on human trafficking. This past October, BJS released information on the data collection profile. This report provided valuable information on characteristics of human trafficking defendants in cases charged in US district courts in the fiscal year 2021. These stats included that most defendants of peonage, slavery, forced labor and sex trafficking were Black males between the ages of 25-34, with 76.6% of defendants being male, 57.5% of defendants being Black, and 38.3% of defendants being between the ages of 25-34. Read more about the statistics released here: https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/htdca23.pdf .

BJA Data Collection Profile 2023.pdf
File Size:	435 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

]]><![CDATA[The History Behind the Month & What We Can Do]]>Mon, 01 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/blog/testingWelcome - we are so glad you are here!

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force (CCHTTF) has dedicated this month to raise awareness about human trafficking and celebrate the efforts of our partners throughout the Chicagoland area. During this month, the CCHTTF website, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok will feature daily posts geared towards increasing education and awareness.

The History Behind the Month

More than 20 years ago, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) enshrined the United States’ commitment to combating human trafficking domestically and internationally. In 2010, by presidential proclamation, President Obama declared January “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” and every year since, each president has followed this tradition.

President Biden has proclaimed January 2023 as “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” reaffirming his Administration’s commitment to protect and empower survivors of all forms of human trafficking, to prosecute traffickers, and to bring an end to human trafficking in the United States and around the world. “Since human trafficking disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities, women and girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, vulnerable migrants, and other historically marginalized and underserved communities, our mission to combat human trafficking must always be connected to our broader efforts to advance equity and justice across our society.”

The History Behind the Month, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month Factsheet, U.S. Department of State

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking includes both forced labor and sex trafficking. It can happen in any industry, and to persons of any gender, age, and nationality. The crime of labor trafficking occurs workers are trapped, through force, fraud, or coercion, to keep working for someone even if they do not want to. The crime of sex trafficking occurs when a minor is given anything of value (money, shelter, food, etc.) in exchange for sex acts OR when an adult is trapped, by force, fraud, or coercion, into commercial sex by someone else.

Human trafficking experiences are not monolithic and neither are survivors. While anyone can be a victim of trafficking, some groups are made disproportionally vulnerable by discrimination (especially against LGBTQIA+ youth), disability, immigration status, poverty, and prior abuse (including child abuse and sexual assault). This is why the CCHTTF is committed to combatting human trafficking through a comprehensive community based approach; known as the public health approach.

What Can I Do?

Learn, share, and invest.

Learn: When communities are educated on the realities of human trafficking, barriers to engagement are reduced. As community members, voters, and potential jurors, we have the power to advocate for comprehensive and trauma informed services for all survivors of trafficking.

Throughout January, we will be sharing educational resources. Contributions to the CCHTTF website and/or social media outlets are vetted to insure compliance with our ethical messaging standards. Source material pertaining to human trafficking must come from a reputable agency or organization that has good standing in the local or national anti-trafficking community.

Share: In the next 31 days, we invite you to share our content with two people. Either by reposting on social media, or sending the link to a friend, family member, or colleague.

Invest: Start within your own community. Help combat trafficking by supporting initiatives that reduce risk and increase protections. Investing in your community is a great way to support human trafficking prevention efforts.

Factors like housing instability, food insecurity, substance dependence, and unlawful immigration status, can make individuals disproportionately vulnerable to trafficking. Investing in your local community housing programs, community health clinics, food banks, and advocating for worker protections, are all aspect of human trafficking prevention.

For more information: I Want To Do More Than Educate and Fundraise – I’m Ready To Save Victims and Kick Traffickers in the Face by Love146

Thank you for joining us for Day 1 of the 2024 National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

]]>