US DOT refocuses on combating human trafficking in transportation industry
Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg highlighted the opportunity to recognize and prevent the crime of human trafficking in the transportation industry. Human trafficking in the transportation sector in the United States involves the exploitation of individuals for labor or commercial sex acts through various modes of transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes. This includes but is not limited to:
Forced labor in the transportation industry, such as trucking and shipping.
Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation through transportation to different locations for the purpose of prostitution.
Smuggling of people across international borders for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
Domestic trafficking of individuals for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation through the use of buses, trains, and airplanes to transport victims within the country.
The transportation sector can facilitate human trafficking by providing a means for traffickers to transport victims to different locations and by creating opportunities for exploitation in the industry itself. The U.S. government, in collaboration with private organizations, is working to raise awareness about human trafficking in the transportation sector and implement measures to prevent it, such as training transportation employees to identify and report suspected cases of trafficking.
Despite opposition from truckers and numerous negative comments, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is moving forward with its plan to mandate automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on heavy trucks.