Coronavirus

Building a Bridge to Safety

Blog Post — September 23, 2022
Victims and survivors of human trafficking need safe shelter options more than ever before. Enter Polaris's corporate hospitality partners and generous individuals from across the country.

Human Trafficking During a Pandemic: What We Can Learn From a Snapshot in Time

Blog Post — July 21, 2021
Two recent reports based on data from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline highlight how the pandemic exacerbated systemic issues while trafficking adapted to the changing contexts.

Sexual Exploitation During the Pandemic

Published July 8, 2021
An examination of the number of daily situations of sex trafficking reported to the Trafficking Hotline indicates a possible shift in where likely sex trafficking involving online sexual exploitation was happening during the pandemic. This in turn highlights how traffickers quickly adapt to changing contexts and the challenges and opportunities this poses to those trying to reduce and prevent sex trafficking.

Labor Exploitation and Trafficking of Agricultural Workers During the Pandemic

Published June 23, 2021
There was a more than 70% increase in reported likely labor trafficking victims who held H-2A visas that authorizes the work of migrant agricultural workers in the United States. In addition to other abuses, one-third of these individuals complained about being denied medical attention, while they were deemed essential by the United States Government.

Racial Disparities, COVID-19, and Human Trafficking

Blog Post — July 29, 2020
The pandemic is greatly impacting Latinos and Black people in the United States as the result of systemic inequities in our society. Those inequities are the same ones that create the vulnerabilities that traffickers often take advantage of.

Labor Trafficking Red Flags in Latest Work Visa Program Changes

Blog Post — June 23, 2020
During COVID-19, temporary changes in regulations to work visas, like H-2A and H-2B, benefit employers but put workers at greater risk of human trafficking and exploitation. Lack of oversight and lack of clear access to crucial information for workers increases the imbalance of power, favoring employers.

Alerta de trata laboral en los últimos cambios en visas temporales de trabajo

Blog Post — June 23, 2020
Los cambios en los protocolos de visas temporales de trabajo debido al COVID-19 crean más desbalances de poder y ponen a los trabajadores en riesgo de trata laboral.

Human Trafficking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 10, 2020
Polaris tracked the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking. As part of this effort, Polaris has undertaken a systematic examination of relevant data from the Polaris-operated U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. The data brief includes the findings of this analysis and policy recommendations.

Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic

Published June 10, 2020
This data brief includes analysis of relevant data from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline to examine the potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking.

Working on the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Blog Post — May 26, 2020
Since March, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline has been operated from the makeshift offices of Trafficking Hotline staff. Here, they share some of their experiences and the challenges they face during this unprecedented time.

Isolating Children May Lead to More Trafficking

Blog Post — May 20, 2020
With stay-at-home orders resulting in more children spending time online and at home, there has been an increase in reports of child abuse, which may also make children more vulnerable to trafficking.

Landlords Coercing Tenants Unable to Pay Rent to Provide Sex: Sex Trafficking or Not?

Blog Post — May 6, 2020
In the case of a landlord soliciting sex in exchange for rent, the implied threat is clear: provide sex or you and your family will be homeless. This is sex trafficking.

Need help? Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline.