BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Officials in Brazos County are working to prevent and identify a form of human trafficking that doesn't get as much attention: labor trafficking.
- Labor trafficking is forcing someone to provide a good or a service without proper pay or a way to leave the situation.
- In 2016, there were 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas. Of those, 234,000 were victims of labor trafficking.
- In the last five years, Unbound Bryan-College Station has helped over 150 victims of human trafficking.
- If you suspect someone of being a victim of labor trafficking, resources are available.
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“There's a lot of fear, they can't leave or they can't go anywhere. They don't have their documents," said Naomi Rijpstra with Unbound Now Bryan-College Station.
That’s the frightening reality for thousands of people across Texas every day.
“For the past 15 years or so, as human trafficking has become more of a focus in our society and in law enforcement, victim services, we've talked so much about sex trafficking. But in the background, we have people in our country that are being exploited for their labor that's not sexually related on a daily basis,” said Kellye Arnold with the Brazos County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Arnold is talking about labor trafficking.
She said though they’re still tracking down some leads, they haven't yet made any arrests for labor trafficking in the area. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist here.
"We do have a lot of agricultural industries in Brazos County and surrounding counties. And we'll you know, we'll be looking at restaurants and everything as well, because those are going to be kind of the focus is places where the bottom line and profits are determined by labor rates and that people can make a lot more profit by finding really cheap labor," Arnold said.
According to a study from Sam Houston State University, in 2016, there were 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas. 234,000—or around 75%—were victims of labor trafficking.
In the Brazos Valley, Naomi Rijpstra with Unbound Bryan College Station said they’ve helped over 150 victims of human trafficking in the last five years.
"We have a 24/7 crisis referral line. And so our advocates can respond on scene and just provide any immediate need or meet any immediate needs. And then we have long term advocacy—providing that emotional support, meeting up with them, getting to know them, and then really connecting them to resources in the community that they need," Rijpstra said.