20 Ways to Help and Prevent International Human Trafficking

20 Ways to Help Victims of Human Trafficking

After first learning about human trafficking, many people want to help in some way but do not know how. Here are just a few ideas for your consideration.

1.                               Learn human trafficking red flags and ask follow up questions so that you can detect a potential trafficking situation.

2.                               In the United States, report your suspicions to law enforcement at 911, Department of Justice at 1-888-428-7581, and the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-3737-888. Victims, including undocumented individuals, are eligible for services and immigration assistance.

3.                               Be a conscientious consumer. Make socially responsible investments. Let your favorite retailers know that you support their efforts to maintain a slavery free supply chain. Encourage your company or your employer to take steps to investigate and eliminate human trafficking throughout its supply chain and to publish the information for consumer awareness.

4.                               Hire trafficking survivors.

5.                               Volunteer your professional services to help an anti-trafficking organization that need help from lawyers, doctors, dentists, counselors, translators and interpreters, graphic designers, public relations and media professionals, event planners, and accountants.

6.                               Donate funds or needed items to an anti-trafficking organization.

7.                               Organize a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to an anti-trafficking organization.

8.                               Join or start a grassroots human trafficking coalition.

9.                               Encourage your local schools to include modern slavery in their curriculum. As a parent, educator, or school personnel, be aware of how traffickers target school-aged children.

10.                            Meet with and write to your local, state and federal government representatives to let them know that you care about combating human trafficking in your community.

11.                            Create and distribute public awareness materials such as t-shirts, posters, and public service announcements for radio. Or distribute already existing materials available from the Department of Health and Human Services or Department of Homeland Security.

12.                            Host an awareness event to watch and discuss a recent human trafficking documentary. On a larger scale, host a human trafficking film festival. Several noteworthy films and documentaries have been produced in the last several years that bring attention to the plight of victims worldwide.

13.                            Write a letter to the editor for your local paper about human trafficking in your community.

14.                            Incorporate human trafficking information into your professional associations’ conferences, trainings, manuals, and other materials as relevant.

15.                            STUDENTS: Join or establish a university club to raise awareness about human trafficking throughout the local community and identify victims. Request that human trafficking be an issue included in such university courses as health, migration, human rights, social work, and crime. Increase scholarship about human trafficking by publishing an article, teaching a class, or hosting a symposium.

16.                            COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: ensure that your staff is able to identify and assist trafficked persons.

17.                            LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS: join or start a local human trafficking task force.

18.                            MENTAL HEALTH OR MEDICAL PROVIDERS: extend low-cost or free services to human trafficking victims assisted by nearby anti-trafficking organizations.

19.                            IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS: learn about and offer to human trafficking victims the immigration benefits for which they are eligible.

20.                            EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEYS: look for signs of human trafficking among your clients.

Missouri Woman Pleads Guilty in $5 Million Illegal Document Conspiracy

A Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court Monday, May 7, to her role in a more than $5 million conspiracy that utilized the Missouri Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph to provide more than 3,500 fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens across the United States.

The guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations; the Buchanan County (Mo.) Sheriff's Department; the St. Joseph (Mo.) Police Department; the Platte County (Mo.) Sheriff's Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Missouri Department of Revenue Investigation Bureau; the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Christina Michelle Gonzalez, 23, of St. Joseph, Mo., pleaded guilty May 7 before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to the charges contained in a Jan. 10 federal indictment.

By pleading guilty, Gonzalez admitted to participating in a conspiracy from November 2009 to January 2012 to transport illegal aliens, unlawfully produce identification documents, unlawfully transfer another person's identification, and commit Social Security fraud.

During the conspiracy, thousands of illegal aliens traveled from across the United States to obtain either a Missouri driver's or non-driver's license at the St. Joseph license office by using unlawfully obtained birth certificates and Social Security cards. It is estimated that more than 3,500 licenses were issued to illegal aliens by the Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph. The state licenses could then be used by the illegal aliens to remain unlawfully in the United States, to unlawfully obtain employment and for other unlawful purposes.

Gonzalez admitted that she accompanied illegal aliens to the St. Joseph license office, under the guise of being a translator, in order to assist them with obtaining a Missouri driver's or non-driver's license. Those licenses used the names of persons who were listed on unlawfully obtained birth certificates and Social Security cards.

Gonzalez instructed and assisted the illegal aliens to practice memorizing the information on the birth certificates and Social Security cards and to practice signing the name on those documents so that the signatures would be similar. She also assisted the illegal aliens to prepare for potential questions from the license office employees.

Gonzalez assisted the illegal aliens who did not live in Missouri by providing them with a Missouri residential address to use in order to obtain the Missouri driver's or non-driver's license.

The illegal aliens were usually charged between $1,500 and $1,600 for the document sets and the Missouri driver's and non-driver's licenses. Gonzalez collected money from the illegal aliens, which she paid to her co-conspirators. It is estimated that more than $5,250,000 in gross proceeds was paid by illegal aliens to members of this conspiracy.

Under federal statutes, Gonzalez is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.

4 Mexican Nationals Rescued from Human Smugglers

Four Mexican nationals, including three suspected torture victims, were rescued from a human smuggling drop house Wednesday, May 2, by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assigned to the Phoenix Border Enforcement Security Task Force Drop House Response Group, with support from the Phoenix Police Department.

Following their rescue Wednesday, May 2, three of the hostages told HSI investigators their captors had beaten, sexually assaulted and attacked them with a stun gun. One man had been stabbed.

The four were freed after HSI special agents developed information that suspected human smugglers were operating out of a residence located near 83rd Avenue and Osborn. Based upon that information, investigators initiated surveillance of the house and subsequently observed a vehicle enter its garage only to leave a short time later. Special agents stopped the vehicle, discovered $7,200 in the vehicle, and apprehended two suspected smugglers and two recently smuggled Mexican nationals. Shortly after the vehicle stop, agents observed three other men leave the residence on bicycle and on foot. All three were identified as suspected smugglers and apprehended.

When HSI special agents and Phoenix Police Department officers entered the residence, they discovered four male Mexican nationals in a bedroom. Two of the men were bound with rope around their ankles and a third man had been stabbed recently on his upper back. All three had other visible injuries consistent with being physically abused. The fourth man appeared physically unharmed.

The stabbing victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released to authorities. The other three men were evaluated and treated as needed by the Phoenix Fire Department at the scene. All four of the men are now in ICE custody and receiving victim services.

"Tragically, this case shows yet again the brutality of the human smuggling trade," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of HSI Arizona. "To the smugglers, these human beings are nothing more than a business commodity. They have no qualms about using ruthless violence in an effort to collect their smuggling fees. HSI is fully committed to disrupting this violent activity and dismantling the criminal organizations involved."

The five suspected smugglers, all of whom are Mexican nationals, were arrested by the Phoenix Police Department and booked into the Maricopa County Jail Thursday on kidnapping, aggravated assault, sexual assault and extortion charges. They are expected to make their initial court appearance late Thursday. The five may also face future federal charges.

The investigation is ongoing.

HSI established the Drop House Response Group in September 2009 to identify, target and dismantle the infrastructure used by human smuggling organizations operating in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Fact Sheet: Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers

Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers

Reminder: This proposed process is not in effect.

What USCIS Proposes

On March 30, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register requesting public comment on its plan to create an alternative process for certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to apply for and receive a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility while still in the United States, if they can demonstrate that being separated from their U.S. citizen spouse or parent would cause that U.S. citizen relative extreme hardship. The goal of the proposed process change is to reduce the time that U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives while those family members go through the consular process overseas to obtain an immigrant visa.

Why USCIS Proposed It

Currently, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who have accrued a certain period of unlawful presence in the United States are barred from returning to the United States for as long as 3 or 10 years if they leave the country. Immediate relatives can obtain a waiver of the unlawful presence bar if they show that a U.S. citizen spouse or parent will experience extreme hardship if they are required to remain outside the United States. The immediate relative also would have to show that they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion. But in order to obtain the waiver, these individuals must depart the United States and wait abroad while the waiver is processed.

Under the current process, therefore, U.S. citizens suffer unnecessarily long periods of separation while family members go through consular processing overseas to obtain an immigrant visa. The proposed process change lessens the length of separation by reducing inefficiencies in the current immigrant visa process. USCIS believes that this proposed change will streamline the immigrant visa process for immediate relatives whose only ground of inadmissibility is unlawful presence. USCIS plans to adjudicate the provisional waiver application in the United States before the immediate relative departs for his or her immigrant visa interview, which will reduce the length of time immediate relatives must spend abroad for consular processing.

What the Proposed Process Would Do

Under the proposed process, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who would need a waiver of unlawful presence in order to obtain an immigrant visa could file a new Form I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, before leaving the United States to obtain an immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. All individuals eligible for this streamlined process are still required to depart the United States and must meet all legal requirements for issuance of an immigrant visa and admission to the United States.

An individual may seek a provisional unlawful presence waiver if he or she:

• Is physically present in the United States;
• Is at least 17 years of age;
• Is the beneficiary of an approved immigrant visa petition (I-130) classifying him or her as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen;
• Is actively pursuing the immigrant visa process and has already paid the Department of State immigrant visa processing fee;
• Is not subject to any other grounds of inadmissibility other than unlawful presence; and
• Can demonstrate that the refusal of admission would result in extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse or parent.

An immediate relative would not be eligible for the proposed process if he or she:

• Has an application already pending with USCIS for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident;
• Is subject to a final order of removal or reinstatement of a prior removal order;
• May be found inadmissible at the time of the consular interview for reasons other than unlawful presence; or
• Has already been scheduled for an immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Allowing immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to receive provisional waivers in the United States before departure for their immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate means that:

• Immigrant visa processing times will improve because of greater capacity in the United States and fewer case transfers between USCIS and the Department of State;
• Immigrant visas will be issued without unnecessary delay (if the individual is otherwise eligible); and
• The period of separation and hardship many U.S. citizens would face due to prolonged separation from their family members will be minimized.

Next Steps

This new process will be implemented only after USCIS publishes a final rule in the Federal Register with an effective date. USCIS will consider all comments received as part of the proposed rulemaking process before publishing the final rule. The current waiver process remains in place and will continue to remain for those who may not be eligible for a provisional waiver.

DO NOT file an application or request a provisional waiver at this time. Any applications filed with USCIS based on this NPRM will be rejected and the application package returned to the applicant, including any fees, until the final rule is issued and the change becomes effective.

Former ICE Intelligence Director Pleads Guilty to Fraud

The former acting director of intelligence for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pleaded guilty to defrauding the government of more than $180,000 in a scheme involving fraudulent travel vouchers, and time and attendance claims.

James M. Woosley, 48, formerly of Tucson, Ariz., pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conversion of government money. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2012. Under federal guidelines, Woosley faces a likely sentence of 18 to 27 months in prison as well as a potential fine. In addition, as part of his plea agreement, he agreed to forfeiture of the money he wrongfully obtained.

Four others earlier pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme: Ahmed Adil Abdallat, 64, a former ICE supervisory intelligence research specialist, pleaded guilty in October 2011; William J. Korn, 53, a former ICE intelligence research specialist, pleaded guilty in December 2011; Stephen E. Henderson, 61, a former contractor doing work for ICE, pleaded guilty in January 2012; and Lateisha M. Rollerson, 38, a former assistant to Woosley, pleaded guilty in March 2012. Abdallat pleaded guilty in the Western District of Texas, and the others pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia.

All told, the actions of the various defendants cost ICE more than $600,000.

"Today James Woosley became the fifth – and highest-ranking – individual to plead guilty as part of a series of fraud schemes among rogue employees and contractors at ICE," said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., District of Columbia. "He abused his sensitive position of trust to fleece the government by submitting phony paperwork for and taking kickbacks from subordinates who were also on the take. This ongoing investigation demonstrates our dedication to protecting the taxpayer from corrupt government employees and contractors."

"Criminal acts within the Department of Homeland Security represent a threat to our nation and undermine the honest and hard-working employees who strive to maintain the integrity of the department," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Inspector General Charles K. Edwards. "OIG takes all allegations of employee wrongdoing very seriously. Those who choose to break the law will be pursued aggressively."

"Today, Mr. Woosley admitted to a scheme in which he spent years defrauding the government," said James W. McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. "This plea should serve as a reminder to all who serve in positions of public trust – if you use those positions for personal gain, you will be held accountable."

"Today's plea reflects the outstanding law enforcement cooperation in a case that unmasked the illicit acts of a senior ICE official," said Paul E. Layman, deputy division director of ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility. "This case was an egregious breach of the public's trust and is atypical of the integrity displayed by ICE employees on a daily basis. ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility will continue to ensure that the employees of the agency are held to the highest standards of professional conduct. Guarding against illegal or unethical behavior is not an option; it is an obligation we have to the people we serve."

According to the government's evidence, with which Woosley agreed, from in or about May 2008 until in or about January 2011, Woosley participated in fraudulent activity involving travel vouchers, and time and attendance claims. In addition, from June 2008 until in or about February 2011, Woosley was aware of or willfully overlooked fraudulent activity of ICE employees under his supervision or contract employees.

The other employees included Rollerson, who he met in or about 2007, while he was deputy director for ICE's Office of Intelligence. Woosley and Rollerson developed a close, personal relationship. In or about May 2008, Rollerson was hired as an intelligence reports writer for a company that did contract work for ICE. Later that year, she was hired by ICE as an intelligence research specialist. This placed her first in the chain of command under Woosley, and she later became Woosley's personal assistant. Rollerson's official duty station was in Washington, D.C., and she lived in Virginia, often with Woosley. Rollerson helped Woosley and the other participants with the paperwork to support the fraudulent payments they later received.

Woosley admitted obtaining money in various ways:

·                             Between approximately May 2008 and January 2011, Woosley submitted or caused to be submitted approximately 13 fraudulent travel vouchers to ICE, at a cost of $50,637. As Woosley's assistant, Rollerson created all but one of the travel vouchers, as well as fraudulent documents to support the claimed expenses. She often accompanied him on the trips.

·                             Between approximately November 2009 and January 2011, Woosley submitted or caused to be submitted time and attendance claims for his pay for work he was supposed to be doing while he was on travel. Because he was not actually on travel or working, he was not entitled to the payments of approximately $27,230.

·                             Starting in 2008, Woosley took a share of the fraudulent proceeds obtained by others in a scheme involving travel vouchers. For example, Henderson, an ICE contractor who was detailed on temporary duty to Washington, D.C., kicked back $5,000 to Woosley that was used to purchase a boat. Henderson also lived with Woosley and used some fraudulent proceeds to pay rent. Abdallat wrote checks to Rollerson and others for the benefit of Woosley and Rollerson totaling about $58,550. Korn kicked back about $30,648 to the benefit of Woosley and Rollerson. Finally, an unnamed contract employee gave $15,940 in fraudulent travel voucher funds to Woosley, which Woosley used for a real estate investment.

This case was investigated by the DHS Office of Inspector General, the FBI's Washington Field Office and the ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Acting Inspector General Edwards, Assistant Director McJunkin and Deputy Division Director Layman praised the investigative agents from the respective agencies for their hard work in this matter. They also acknowledged the efforts of former Legal Assistant Jared Forney, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Butler and Allison Barlotta, who are handling this prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Sroka and Emily Scruggs, who are handling the asset forfeiture.

DHS Announces 18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has re-designated Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and has extended the existing TPS designation for Somalia from Sept. 18, 2012 through March 17, 2014, allowing eligible nationals of Somalia to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice.

Somali nationals with TPS who are seeking to re-register for TPS must file their application packages during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from May 1, 2012, through July 2, 2012. Somalis (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) in the United States who do not currently have TPS may apply under the re-designation during the six-month period that runs from May 1, 2012 through Oct. 29, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages eligible individuals to register as soon as possible.

During the past year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State have reviewed the conditions in Somalia. Based upon this review, Secretary Napolitano has determined that a re-designation and 18-month extension of TPS for Somalia is warranted.

The extension of the current Somalia TPS designation is due to the continued disruption of living conditions in the country based upon extraordinary and temporary conditions that prompted the U.S. Attorney General’s re-designation of Somalia for TPS on Sept. 4, 2001. The Secretary’s re-designation is based on ongoing armed conflict and the worsening of the extraordinary and temporary conditions, including the effects of the recent severe drought in Somalia.

A Somali national may be eligible under the re-designation if she or he has continuously resided in the United States since May 1, 2012, and has been continuously physically present in the United States since Sept. 18, 2012.

DHS anticipates that there are approximately 250 individuals who will be eligible to re-register for TPS under the existing designation of Somalia and estimates that fewer than 1,000 additional individuals will be eligible for TPS under the re-designation.

Individuals applying for TPS for the first time must submit:

               A Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;

               A Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an Employment Authorization Document (EAD);

               The Form I-821 application fee;

               The biometrics services fee if they are age 14 or older; and

               The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD and are 14 to 65 years old. Those under 14 or over 65 do not need to pay the I-765 fee with their initial TPS application.

Individuals re-registering for TPS must submit:

               A Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;

               A Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an Employment Authorization Document (EAD);

               The biometric services fee if they are age 14 or older; and

               The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD. All individuals re-registering for TPS who want an EAD must pay the I-765 fee, regardless of age.

TPS applicants who are registering for the first time and applicants re-registering for TPS may request that USCIS waive any or all fees by filing a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request will result in the rejection of the TPS application.

Applicants can download free TPS forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or request free TPS forms by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

Additional information on TPS for Somalia, including guidance on the application process, eligibility, and where to file, is available online at www.uscis.gov/tps. Further details on this extension and re-designation of Somalia for TPS, including the application requirements and procedures, may be found in the Federal Register notice published today.

Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check My Case Status Online, or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

ICE Target Operation Arrests 13 Criminal Aliens in Massachusetts

During a two-day targeted enforcement operation in the Boston area, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 13 convicted criminal aliens.

Operation Threats Against the Community commenced April 26, 2012. All 13 taken into custody had prior criminal convictions. Additionally, 11 had multiple criminal convictions. Many of the criminal aliens taken into custody had prior convictions for serious or violent offenses including: possession of an illegal firearm; assault; assault and battery on a police officer; possessing and selling dangerous drugs; and drunken driving.

"The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said Vincent Archibeque, deputy field office director of ERO Boston. "When we focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens we get an immediate payback in our communities. Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers – along with our state and local law enforcement partners – there are 13 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods in Massachusetts."

The arrests took place in Lawrence, Mass., and Methuen, Mass. The Lawrence Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Essex County Sheriff's Office, Massachusetts Probation Service and ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted over 25 ERO officers with the operation.

Of those arrested, all 13 were men and nationals of the following countries: one from Guatemala, one from Peru and eleven from the Dominican Republic. All were between the ages of 23 and 51.

All 13 were arrested administratively for being in violation of immigration law, and all are being held in ICE custody pending immigration removal proceedings or removal from the United States.

Some of those arrested during this operation include:

·                             A national of Guatemala who was convicted of the following crimes: two separate convictions for DUI; assault and battery on a police officer; and disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

·                             A national of the Dominican Republic who was convicted of the following crimes: possession and distribution of cocaine; and possession and distribution of marijuana.

·                             A national of the Dominican Republic who was convicted of the following crimes: DUI; possession and distribution of heroin; possession of cocaine; and assault.

·                             A national of the Dominican Republic who was convicted of the following crimes: firearm offense; possession and distribution of cocaine; and possession and distribution of marijuana.

·                             A national of the Dominican Republic who was convicted of the following crimes: possession of heroin; and aggravated assault and battery.

"This operation, teamed with our routine targeting of criminal aliens, is an example of some of the many tools that ICE uses to effectively reduce crime at the street level in communities throughout New England," added Archibeque.

This enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE's National Criminal Alien Program, which is responsible for locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens. The officers who conducted the operation received substantial assistance from ICE's Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) located in Williston, Vt.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or those criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Largely as a result of these initiatives, for three years in a row, ICE has removed more aliens than were removed in fiscal year 2008. Overall, in FY 2011 ICE removed 396,906 individuals nationwide – the largest number in the agency's history. Of these, nearly 55 percent or 216,698 of the people removed were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors – an 89 percent increase in the removal of criminals since FY 2008. This includes 1,119 aliens convicted of homicide; 5,848 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 44,653 aliens convicted of drug related crimes; and 35,927 aliens convicted of driving under the influence. ICE achieved similar results with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Ninety percent of all ICE's removals fell into a priority category and more than two-thirds of the other removals in 2011 were either recent border crossers or repeat immigration violators.