To Stop Human Trafficking, We Must Raise Public Awareness And Secure The Southern Border

Published

3 years ago

January 24, 2023

admin

Addressing the wickedness of slavery in 1850, the great American abolitionist Frederick Douglass said the practice violates the great law of liberty, written on every human heart. Further, he said, it contravenes the laws of eternal justice, and tramples in the dust all the humane and heavenly precepts of the New Testament.

In 1865, America banished chattel slavery, but nowadays yes, even in 2023 a modern form of slavery persists in the form of illegal human trafficking. And there are thousands of victims living right here in America.

The crime of human trafficking occurs anytime someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to make another individual provide labor, services, or commercial sex acts. If a person performing commercial sex acts is under 18, the crime of human trafficking still occurs even without the elements of force, fraud, or coercion.

Because this evil $150 billion global enterprise operates in the dark shadows, compiling statistics on its reach is difficult. To stamp it out, we need the same kind of determination that the 19th-century abolitionists showed in their own fight for justice and liberty.

Human trafficking is enabled by those who choose to look the other way rather than paying attention to signs that someone might be a victim.

It is also enabled and exacerbated by elected leftist leaders (such as the current president) who willfully embrace the porous nature of the U.S.-Mexico border, across which so many victims are trafficked into the United States.

As Indianas attorney general, I am committed to promoting greater awareness among the public of human trafficking and I am committed to forcing our federal government to get serious about border security.

With January being National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, now is a fitting time to remind Hoosiers and all Americans to stay watchful for signs that someone might be a trafficking victim.

According to the U.S. State Department, those signs include observations that someone: lives with their employer. lives with multiple people in a cramped space. otherwise experiences poor living conditions. is prohibited from speaking alone to strangers. gives answers that appear to be scripted and rehearsed. has an employer holding their identity documents. shows signs of physical abuse. is submissive or fearful. is unpaid or paid very little. is under 18 and working in the commercial sex industry.

People in certain job roles such as medical professionals, restaurant workers, teachers, and truck drivers are particularly likely to come into contact with trafficking victims.

Anyone with suspicions that another person is being trafficked should immediately call local law enforcement. They may also call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

My office works with law enforcement to assist crime victims including administering our Address Confidentiality Program . This initiative enables victims of certain crimes, including trafficking, to conceal their residential address from the public and therefore from their victimizers.

Combating this scourge, however, also requires sealing our nations southern border from easy trespass by people with criminal intent.

The criminal cartels operating out of Mexico are responsible for a significant measure of the human trafficking that occurs within the United States.

In the U.S., immigrants, especially immigrant women, make up the largest portion of trafficking victims, notes Selene Rodriguez at TexasPolicy.com . In fiscal year 2021, there were nearly 2 million migrant apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border, and that number only accounts for the people encountered by border agents.

Studies done by the Latin American branch of the Coalition Against Trafficking International estimates that 60% of Latin American children who set out to cross the border alone or with smugglers have been caught by the cartels and are being abused in child pornography or drug trafficking.

As Indiana attorney general, I have filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit aimed at forcing the Biden administration to get serious about securing the border solely on behalf of Indiana, based on damages unique to our state.

Securing the border would bring relief to millions of Hoosiers and all U.S. citizens who are currently bearing the burdens of runaway illegal immigration. But it also would help prevent the victimization of women and children from Latin American countries who are being trafficked.

We need to talk about these issues not only during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month but indeed all year long.

And beyond the talk, we need action.

Todd Rokita is Indianas attorney general.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Entertainment

Netflix takeover of Warner Bros ‘could be a problem’, Donald Trump says

Published

3 hours ago

December 8, 2025

admin

Netflix takeover of Warner Bros 'could be a problem', Donald Trump says

Donald Trump has said he will be “involved” in the decision on whether Netflix should be allowed to buy Warner Bros, as the $72bn (£54bn) deal attracts a media industry backlash.

The US president acknowledged in remarks to reporters there “could be a problem”, acknowledging concerns over the streaming giant’s market dominance.

Crucially, he did not say where he stood on the issue.

Money latest: The cheapest days to travel by plane

It was revealed on Friday that Netflix, already the world’s biggest streaming service by market share, had agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s TV, film studios and HBO Max streaming division.

The deal aims to complete late next year after the Discovery element of the business, mainly legacy TV channels showing cartoons, news and sport, has been spun off.

But the deal has attracted cross-party criticism on competition grounds, and there is also opposition in Hollywood.

The Writers Guild of America said: “The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.

“The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers.”

Republican Senator, Roger Marshall, said in a statement: “Netflix’s attempt to buy Warner Bros would be the largest media takeover in history – and it raises serious red flags for consumers, creators, movie theaters, and local businesses alike.

“One company should not have full vertical control of the content and the distribution pipeline that delivers it. And combining two of the largest streaming platforms is a textbook horizontal Antitrust problem.

“Prices, choice, and creative freedom are at stake. Regulators need to take a hard look at this deal, and realize how harmful it would be for consumers and Western society.”

Paramount Skydance and Comcast, the parent company of Sky News, were two other bidders in the auction process that preceded the announcement.

The Reuters news agency, citing information from sources, said their bids were rejected in favour of Netflix for different reasons.

Paramount’s was seen as having funding concerns, they said, while Comcast’s was deemed not to offer so many earlier benefits.

Paramount is run by David Ellison, the son of the Oracle tech billionaire Larry Ellison, who is a close ally of Mr Trump.

The president said of the Netflix deal’s path to regulatory clearance: “I’ll be involved in that decision”.

On the likely opposition to the deal. he added: “That’s going to be for some economists to tell. But it is a big market share. There’s no question it could be a problem.”

Business