Human Trafficking Efforts to Protect Connecticut's Vulnerable Children and Youth: Incorporating the Voices of Community Practitioners

Research demonstrates a growing number of exploited and trafficked children in the United States, but few studies address how practitioners continue to respond to these issues. Multiple efforts identify victims of human trafficking and provide services since the passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 and its reauthorization. However, the TVPA oftentimes failed to protect the most vulnerable. This qualitative study included four focus group sessions with 28 practitioners from various disciplines (e.g., social work, healthcare, legal) to examine how the state of Connecticut has expanded services and programs for children and youth trafficking victims. The findings describe current statewide partnerships along with challenges and successes when working with child victims of human trafficking, offering practice and policy recommendations.

Thirteenth Amendment Litigation in the Immigration Detention Context

This Article analyzes how the Thirteenth Amendment has been used to prevent forced labor practices in immigration detention. The Article assesses the effectiveness of Thirteenth Amendment litigation by dissecting cases where detainees have challenged the legality of labor requirements under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Given the expansion in immigration detention, the increasing privatization of detention, and the significant human rights implications of this issue, the arguments advanced in this Article are not only currently relevant but have the potential to shape ongoing dialogue on this subject.

Sabbithi and Others v. Al Saleh and Another

Diplomatic relations — Diplomatic agents — Immunity from jurisdiction — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — Article 31(1)(c) — Action by domestic servants against former employers — Certification of diplomatic status of former employers — Exceptions to immunity — Whether employment of domestic servants a commercial activity — Weight to be given to Statement of Interest filed by United States — Whether plaintiffs’ constitutional slavery claim giving way to diplomatic immunity — Whether defendants’ conduct constituting human trafficking — Whether jus cogens exception to diplomatic immunity — Whether Vienna Convention being overridden by statute — Diplomatic agent leaving post — Residual immunity under Article 39 — Immunity limited to acts performed in exercise of official functions — Whether Court lacking jurisdiction — Whether defendants enjoying diplomatic immunityHuman rights — Prohibition of slavery in United States Constitution — Whether conduct constituting trafficking in human beings — Whether constitutional claim giving way to diplomatic immunity — Whether jus cogens exception to diplomatic immunity — Whether Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000 overriding Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — Whether defendants enjoying diplomatic immunityRelationship of international law and municipal law — Treaties — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — United States Constitution — Whether constitutional claim giving way to diplomatic immunity — Whether jus cogens exception to diplomatic immunity — Whether Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000 overriding Vienna Convention — Whether Court having jurisdiction — The law of the United States

The Impact of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 on Trends in Federal Sex Trafficking Cases

In this study, we addressed the need for empirical research on human trafficking by compiling unique data relating to criminal charges filed in federal judicial districts and using these data to examine trends in sex trafficking-related cases, as well as the impact on those trends of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). Results from our regression models indicate that the proportion of all charges filed by federal prosecutors that involved sex trafficking and related cases increased significantly between 1994 and 2007. The rate of increase, however, slowed in the time period following the passage of the TVPA, suggesting that the TVPA may have helped to mitigate increases in new cases. In addition, our results show statistically significant inverse relationships between immigration and sex trafficking-related charges filed, providing new evidence to support the possibility that some sex trafficking-related cases may be being prosecuted as immigration cases instead.

Taxation Of Mandatory Restitution Received By Victims Of Human Trafficking

<p>In Notice 2012-12, the Internal Revenue Service announced that awards of mandatory restitution received by victims of human trafficking under 18 U.S.C. 1593 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 are excluded from gross income. This article examines the basic provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the calculation of mandatory restitution, publicly available resources involving human trafficking, and the taxability of damages involving physical versus nonphysical injury under civil law.</p>