Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers from around the world come to the U.S. legally on temporary work visas - ready, willing and able to do jobs employers in this country say they can’t otherwise fill. Many of them will become victims of human trafficking because there is so little information publicly available for workers and the government is not closely monitoring employers.
Our report Human Trafficking on Temporary Work Visas identified 797 victims of labor trafficking through reported cases to the National Human Trafficking Hotline from January 2015 to December 2017 who held temporary work visas at the time of their abuse. Victims of labor trafficking on temporary work visas were found across numerous industries including agriculture, domestic work, landscaping, hospitality, restaurants, and construction.
A bipartisan group of congressional leaders reintroduced the Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act, a bill that will help to shed light on the nation’s guest worker programs. The legislation requires a standardized reporting system that can provide governments, law enforcement, and advocates with the data needed to develop trafficking prevention programs. You can help hold traffickers accountable.