SORDID TALES OF women and children sold or tricked into lives of slavery and sexual abuse may seem like the stuff of dime novels, but in fact the stories are all too real and happening not only around the world but in the United States. As many as 50,000 immigrants brought here each year wind up trapped in brothels, sweatshops or other types of forced labor, abused and too fearful of authorities to seek help even when they can. They are only a small part of a worldwide trade in humanity that by some estimates affects as many as 2 million people a year.
The administration has taken a number of steps to draw attention to the issue and to fight trafficking internationally and domestically. But an independent study by a federal intelligence analyst found many barriers hamper successful prosecution of domestic trafficking cases: The cases are complicated and difficult to put together, they fall into the purview of a number of agencies and it's not always clear who has responsibility. Even when cases are successful, the penalties obtained are often low. Victims frequently wind up treated like criminals themselves, detained and deported back to the countries from which they were seeking to escape in the first place.
Bills pending in Congress would increase penalties for trafficking and offer assistance for victims, including changes in immigration law that would allow them to remain in the United States long enough to bring charges against their abusers. These are worthwhile changes that should be enacted swiftly.
The sticking point in discussion of the legislation has been whether the U.S. government should be required to publicly identify and impose sanctions on countries that are failing to combat trafficking within their borders. The House version of the bill requires sanctions; the administration opposes them. A Senate version proposes discretionary sanctions. That seems like a proper way to provide tools for fighting trafficking as well as flexibility in employing them.
While this legislation moves through Congress, federal agencies should look for ways to improve their own effectiveness in attacking these cases. The victims of these abuses are invisible and powerless; they deserve the strongest possible defense.