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The (Not-So) Concealed Connection between Human Trafficking and Immigration

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Yes, human trafficking and immigration are linked. 

No, this connection is not formally explored nor recognized as much as it should be. 


Human trafficking is an exploitative crime that involves the recruitment, transportation, harboring, and/or receipt of individuals. Through the use of force, coercion, fraud, or deception, these individuals are abused for purposes including, but not limited to, labor, services, and sexual acts. For these reasons, it is equated to modern slavery. Worldwide, the United Nations’ International Labour Organization estimates that over 27 million people are victims of human trafficking. Although the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cites that there is no reliable record of human trafficking within their nation, it has been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, on Tribal land, and within U.S. territories. The average age of trafficking victims in the U.S. is just twenty years old, and women and children tend to suffer more than other populations. That is, immigrant women and children are the most frequent targets (American Civil Liberties Union).  


Overall, approximately 60 percent of human trafficking victims are international migrants (UNODC 57). Within the United States, the number jumps to 72 percent (Quinley). Multiple factors contribute to this high risk, such as poverty, homelessness, marginalization, education, conflict, pandemics, climate change, occupations with limited legal protections, and displacement due to political instability, war, and disaster. Often, it is the last-named factor that leads to many immigrants' motivation that begins their journeys, namely, the desire to improve the lives of themselves and their families. Unfortunately, this desire leaves this population to be more easily exploited by traffickers. Statistically, these victims of trafficking migrate from countries closest to the U.S. (Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico), as well as East Asia (UNODC 58). However, what could paint an immigrant as a target is likely their socio-economic profiles—a person who lacks the accessibility, finances, education, or general knowledge that helps them legally reside and work within their country of destination. Thus, the immigrant, who is left with limited options when escaping their (often dangerous) country of origin, is lured by false promises of secure occupations and safe entrance into their desired location, and they are then deceived into exploitative conditions (UNODC 60-61). These conditions include both sex and labor trafficking, with 77% of victims being in forced labor and 23% being in sex trafficking globally, per the United Nations’ International Labour Organization. Many are trapped through unsustainable debts or threats to themselves or to their loved ones (Anti-Slavery International). Both physical and psychological abuse are common for these victims, including beatings, sexual assault, starvation, sleep deprivation, and isolation (American Civil Liberties Union).  


As it is evident that immigrants are at greater risk to human trafficking than other populations, recent U.S. immigration and deportation practices must be addressed. Though it may be too soon to make a definitive judgment, these recent practices certainly have the potential to greatly increase the risk migrants face. Anti-Slavery International explains it best:  


“When immigration laws do not support the movement of people through legal means, people can be forced to take irregular routes – which might rely on people smugglers and sometimes people traffickers – making them more vulnerable to modern slavery. In short, when governments tighten immigration laws, they increase the profitability of smuggling and people trafficking – and ordinary people pay the price.” 


It is argued that the first Trump administration exacerbated human trafficking, as their policies “benefited traffickers, impeded prevention efforts, minimized survivor’s visibility, and impaired service providers’ trust in federal agencies” (Quinley). The immigration policies and deportations practices of his current administration have again been subjects of great debate. Moreover, they potentially threaten to increase the likelihood of immigrants becoming victims of trafficking as they journey to the United States. On July 4, 2025, President Trump announced that he signed The One Big Beautiful Bill into law. As the White House itself writes, this bill has the aim of “permanently securing our borders by finishing the border wall and hiring thousands of new ICE officers and Border Patrol agents.” It dedicates around $170 billion to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their operations, resulting in it being the most funded law enforcement agency in the federal government. Experts warn that these measures will cause more raids and restrict access to humanitarian protection.  


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This bill also impacts asylum seekers, as it includes a $100 application fee for protection, plus an additional $100 for every year the application is pending. This replaces the current fee, which is zero, and could deter people from seeking protection through government-approved measures. In combination with new or heightened fees on work permits, nonimmigrant visas, and temporary protected status applications, this bill’s additions impose a test of wealth on the globe’s most vulnerable population—humans who are desperate to make great voyages for a better life. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) writes that asylum seekers who have not been granted protection, or have limited access to careers and education, are often stuck in a limbo that makes them more vulnerable to trafficking (63). Thus, with the changes this bill seeks to implement, it only endangers the asylum-seeking population more.  


Other initiatives sought out by the Trump administration certainly do not help this group. Some examples are: Many asylum seekers are being detained and deported without due process. Funds dedicated for organizations aiding working with refugees setting inside the U.S. are being frozen or reviewed. Judges within the Justice Department’s system of immigration courts are being directed to fast-track certain asylum rejections without a hearing. Furthermore, numerous individuals are deported regardless of whether they entered the nation legally or illegally. Take, for instance, ICE’s detainment of Mahmoud Khalil: a 30-year-old graduate student and green-card holder who was deported for reasons related to his pro-Palestinian activism. Another example can be observed in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador despite lacking a criminal record and obtaining a judge ruling that, though he entered the U.S. illegally, he could not be deported because his life would be endangered if he returned.


Countless other asylum seekers and immigrants must confront challenges like this, knowing that, regardless of if they enter the country legally or illegally, their chances of deportation remain the same—and increasing. Therefore, these populations are more vulnerable to human trafficking. The link is clear: when restrictions are unfairly and harshly imposed by the government, human traffickers see opportunities for profit by preying on travelers whose main motivation is for a better life. While recent immigration and deportation practices are creating futures of uncertainty for thousands of individuals, both inside and outside the U.S., hope is not yet lost. However, awareness surrounding the connection between human trafficking and immigration must increase to serve this intertwined population in the manner it deserves.  


Carter Quinley, former contributor to The International Affairs Review, proposes policy revisions to protect immigrants from human trafficking in the United States. Simply, her proposals are the following: 

  1. Defend the rights of undocumented immigrants, especially in relation to labor laws. 

  2. Do not deport migrants and unaccompanied children. 

  3. Expand T-visas. 

Advocacy is key—and it takes a community to fight for change. To join the fight, visit https://www.becauseorganization.org/joinus, or click the link to similar nonprofits cited below.  



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