Human trafficking in Florida

Human trafficking in Florida is the illegal trade of human beings for sexual exploitation or forced labor as it occurs in the state of Florida. After California and New York, Florida has the most human trafficking cases in the United States.[1] Florida has had cases of sex trafficking, domestic servitude, and forced labor.[2]

Florida has a large agricultural economy and a large immigrant population, which has made it a prime environment for forced labor,[2] particularly in the tomato industry. Also Florida's tourism industry has also helped make the state a prime target for human traffickers. Concerted efforts have led to the freeing of thousands of slaves in recent years.[3] The National Human Trafficking Resource Center reported receiving 1,518 calls and emails in 2015 about human trafficking in Florida.[4]

  1. ^ Cordner, Sascha (August 22, 2014). "What Might Future Florida Human Trafficking Legislation Look Like For 2015?". Florida State University. WFSU.
  2. ^ a b Coonan, Terry S. (2003). "Human Rights in the Sunshine State: A Proposed Florida Law on Human Trafficking". Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 31 (2). Archived from the original on 2014-09-09. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  3. ^ "The Unsavory Story Of Industrially-Grown Tomatoes". NPR. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10.
  4. ^ "United States Report: 1/1/2015 – 12/31/2015" (PDF). National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Retrieved 19 May 2016.