At a Local level...
Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Florida are due to law enforcement, the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and other service providers located throughout the State. Florida has been recognized as having some of the highest incidents of human trafficking cases in the U.S. One of these successful cases was U.S. vs. Baldonado, which required cross-agency collaboration. Another notable case prosecuted in Florida is U.S vs. Paulin, in which a 52 year old Haitian National and Miami school teacher Maude Paulin and her husband Saintfort were both found guilty of smuggling and harboring a young Haitian girl, using her as a household servant in their south Florida home between 1999 and 2005. When convicted, Maude Paulins faced a prison term of 87 months, Saintfort faced 18 months and jointly, over $167,000 in restitution was ordered to be paid to the victim. In many areas of Florida, task forces and working groups have been formed to provide trainings and address human trafficking issues in the state. Florida State University created a Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. In February, 2004, it published a comprehensive needs assessment outlining ways to identify and help human trafficking persons in Florida. In 2009, FCAHT joined forces with KlaasKids Foundation to conduct street outreach and community awareness on the issue of child sex trafficking during major events. The initiative was named “Tackle the Traffickers”. Tackle the Traffickers til this day continues to expand and be replicated during other major events throughout the U.S. This has been an amazing event as FCAHT and KlaasKids Foundation have been able to team up with other amazing organizations who combat human trafficking in other states. At a National level...
On July 16, 2004, The Bush Administration took new steps to combat human trafficking. The plan included more funding, better coordination, and tighter laws, including comprehensive anti-trafficking state laws. The Department of Justice drafted a model anti-trafficking statute for states in an effort to foster comprehensive and uniform anti-trafficking statutes throughout the United States. In a fact sheet released July 16, 2004, the White House announced new initiatives the Bush administration is undertaking to combat human trafficking. These included:
Trafficking is a transnational criminal enterprise. It recognizes neither boundaries nor borders. Profits from trafficking feed into the coffers of organized crime. Trafficking is fueled by other criminal activities such as visa and document fraud, labor contracting, money laundering and migrant smuggling. Because trafficking cases are so expansive in reach, they are among the most important matters - as well as the most labor and time-intensive matters - undertaken by the Department of Justice." (Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft, 2/25/03) It is a high priority of the Department of Justice to pursue and prosecute human traffickers. Human trafficking frequently involves the trafficking of men, women and children for sexual exploitation and or forced labor, a brutal crime the Department is committed to aggressively investigate and prosecute. Links U.S. Department of State Report, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Trafficking in Persons Report - 2009 At an International Level...
FCAHT was recognized by the Congress of Argentina for the work and assistance FCAHT gave them in passing their human trafficking law and providing agency trainings. Grenada is now working on a human trafficking law because of information FCAHT provided identifying potential human trafficking in their country. FCAHT has provided human trafficking trainings in the Americas, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe as part of a training delegation. FCAHT International Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking In early June, 2005, Anna Rodriguez met with Ana Maria De Monteagudo, General Consul of Guatemala and the decision was made for FCAHT to work together with them and provide the Consulate of Guatemala's office with training and awareness for the States of Florida, North and South Carolina and in Atlanta, Georgia. Ana Maria De Monteagudo also works with FCAHT in bringing awareness and education to her people in Guatemala. Today, FCAHT still works with the current General Consul Felipe Alejos. FCAHT has an ongoing partnership with the Comision Bicameral de la Nacion de Argentina. FCAHT Founder/CEO, Anna Rodriguez, has been elected as the Vice President for RATT Mercosur, which is an International Coalition of Anti Human Trafficking groups around the world. RATT's main mission is to come together and identify the gaps within the field of human trafficking, as well as uniting all of the major players throughout the world in a an effort to successfully combat this global issue |
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