TRAFFICKING IN THE AGE OF TRUMP: A Qualitative Analysis of the Immigration Restriction Approach to Human Trafficking

Abstract

From the very beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, immigration has been a hot button topic and source of dispute between parties. Human trafficking, an issue that the Trump administration has spoken on at length, has figured significantly into the immigration debate on the part of those who favor restrictive policies. The administration and others have argued that border security and strict immigration enforcement are crucial to efforts to combat human trafficking, often citing the most heinous of trafficking cases to engender moral outrage.

This thesis posits that the true intention behind the administration’s discussion of human trafficking is the justification of anti-immigration policies and rhetoric, not a commitment to serving victims of trafficking. It reaches this conclusion by positioning the restrictive view of human trafficking as a “public relations move”, as demonstrated by previous literature on the subject and by the comparison of Donald Trump’s discussion of trafficking with the administration’s policies.

This thesis also demonstrates that policies that emphasize immigration enforcement, removal, and border security not only fail to contribute to anti-trafficking efforts, but also have the potential to harm trafficking victims and hinder more effective anti-trafficking initiatives. It does so by analyzing present and past immigration policy through the lens of human trafficking literature, as well as expert opinion gained through a series of interviews. After concluding that these policies can be harmful to anti-trafficking efforts, this thesis discusses the role of immigration enforcement in the fight against human trafficking, considering current law enforcement policies and critiques thereof.

Based on the findings of this thesis, I conclude that anti-trafficking efforts can only succeed in the United States if immigration policy shifts from emphasizing deportation, border security, and limited entry to the management and facilitation of migration and the wellbeing of migrants. This shift away from criminalizing migration, which must originate from the administration and spread to law enforcement agencies who have contact with trafficking victims, will facilitate the identification of trafficking victims as well the mitigation of common vulnerabilities to exploitation and trafficking.