People Trafficking

The issue of people trafficking is under constant review by the New York legal system and considerable adjustments have recently been made to the legislation on this issue. This has included the division of labor trafficking and sex trafficking into two distinct crimes, which can result in very serious penalties. Immigration laws in the United States in general are quite strict, and a number of American citizens have found themselves under investigation for people trafficking after relatively innocuous interactions with foreign nationals.

Anyone who assists an illegal immigrant to travel into the United States can be investigated for people trafficking. In addition to this, anyone who privately transports an illegal immigrant within the borders of the United States can also be said to be involved with people trafficking. Many forced labour organisations within New York and other major cities avoid transporting their workers in large groups, but instead have them driven from one place to another in private cars. These workers are often referred to as relatives, they generally have little or no English and will normally have just arrived from their native countries. It is not unusual for individuals who are acquainted with foreign nationals to be asked to collect a brother, or aunt, from the airport and to ensure that they are deposited safely at a certain destination. Such people may believe they are doing a favour for a friend, when in fact they are engaging in human trafficking.

Other human trafficking cases can involve one individual helping another to cross a national border. This has been known to happen through use of internet dating and social networking sites, when a foreign national develops a relationship with a citizen with the intention of crossing illegally into the United States. Assisting an illegal immigrant in this manner may also lead to a people trafficking charge. Whatever the circumstances, our law firm has considerable experience in this area and can offer skilled legal representation at a very low cost.