Sex Slavery in the Lone Star State: Does the Texas Human Trafficking Legislation of 2011 Protect Minors?

Abstract

Human trafficking is “one of the world’s largest and fastest growing criminal enterprises” — second only to the trade of illegal drugs. By most accounts, women and girls are the primary victims; yet, men and boys are targeted as well. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking are two major forms of human trafficking that fuel the growth of the more than twelve billion dollar per year trafficking industry. The United States is a “major destination country” for international trafficking; over 50,000 persons are trafficked into the United States from other countries each year. Upon arrival, they join U.S. citizens and residents who are trafficked domestically. To combat human trafficking, the federal government enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (“TVPA”) in 2000 to address both international and domestic trafficking in persons. In the past few years, a growing movement has emerged among states to pass comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation of their own.