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Human Trafficking Blue Campaign Toolkit

Letter from Secretary Napolitano

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Dear Private Sector Partners,

Today we invite you to stand with the Department of Homeland Security to combat human trafficking.

Human trafficking - modern day slavery - is not just a problem in developing nations; it is here, in the United States, hidden in plain sight. Estimates show that thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked in the United States each year primarily for sexual or labor exploitation. Trafficking networks often rely on legitimate businesses to sustain their operations and infrastructure. Though it is difficult to measure the exact costs of human trafficking, the International Labor Organization estimates that traffickers gain illicit profits amounting to more than $15 billion annually in industrialized countries. Human trafficking fuels other organized crimes, encourages corruption, and erodes both legal and governmental structures. It devalues workers' wages, decreases tax revenues, and increases health care costs for businesses and individuals. This is not a problem the United States can afford to ignore.

I am proud to say that the DHS anti-trafficking efforts are getting results. In fiscal year 2009, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated 566 human trafficking investigations, a 31 percent increase over the previous year. ICE's work led to 388 arrests, 148 indictments, and 165 convictions. In the same year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted 313 T visas to victims of human trafficking, providing critical immigration protection to victims while strengthening the ability of law enforcement to prosecute their traffickers.

The Department of Homeland Security wants to help you lessen the impact of human trafficking on your business and your community. I invite you to take a few minutes to read through these suggested tools and to sign up with the DHS Blue Campaign to combat human trafficking.

Thank you for helping to ensure the safety and security of our homeland.

Yours very truly,

Signature of Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Secretary

Join Our List of Concerned Businesses and Organizations

Send an e-mail to bluecampaign@dhs.gov to ask questions about the campaign or to receive periodic updates about news and events related to human trafficking.

Raise Awareness by Viewing and Sharing Blue Campaign Videos 

 

Other Actions You Can Take

  1. This Human Trafficking Toolkit (PDF- 2 pages, 131 KB) is also available as a downloadable PDF. Forward it to your coworkers and staff.
  2. Ask them to view the public service announcement video.
  3. Display the Awareness Poster (PDF - 1 page, 248 KB) in your office.
  4. Hand out the Human Trafficking Indicators card (PDF - 2 pages, 83 KB).
  5. Check out other Department of Homeland Security anti-human trafficking materials.
  6. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluecampaign.
  7. Learn more about your responsibilities as an employer.
  8. Be a conscientious consumer as you make purchases for your business. Refer to the Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (PDF - 194 pages, 3.30 MB).
  9. Share your ideas on how the Department and your company can help raise awareness and combat human trafficking.

Report Suspected Human Trafficking to Law Enforcement

Call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 866-347-2423.

Further Resources

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