Blog #1: Human trafficking on the rise in border region

This article was about the increase of human trafficking along the border of the United States and Mexico. Legal and government officials from the U.S. and Mexico met at the Bi-National Forum To Address Human Trafficking in Chula Vista to discuss the problem of human trafficking, sexual exploitation of children and new laws regarding these issues. According to the California Against Slavery campaign, San Diego, California is one of the top ten cities in the United States for child prostitution and California has three of the top child sex trafficking areas in the country. The CAS also reports that 100,000 minors from America are being sold for sex annually and more than 17,000 foreign born slaves are brought into the United States each year. It was also stated in the article that organized crime groups have increased trafficking activities which include women and children. Mexican Congresswoman Rosi Orozo emphasized that a bi-national effort is needed to help combat the problem of human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children occurring in Mexico and the United States.

I agree that there is a huge human trafficking problem between the United States and Mexico. It was encouraging to read in this article that officials from both the United States and Mexico were coming together to address the issue. Mexican Congresswoman Rosi Orozo suggests that one thing that must be done to help decrease this type of activity is to punish not only those who are forcing women and children into sexual slavery, but to punish the “Johns” also. Maybe drastically increasing the punishment for all who are involved could help to deter this type of activity. The so-called Johns should be punished severely. New laws increasing the punishment need to be enacted. Decreasing the demand I believe, is a step in the right direction. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/12/human-trafficking-on-the-rise-in-border-region/