Many trafficked persons come from areas that are poor, in armed conflict, and under going political upheaval or natural disasters and their aftermath. Trafficked persons are usually poor, unemployed or underemployed, and desperate to escape their conditions. They are coerced, deceived and lied to.

These victims can be found anywhere in the United States – in big cities, small towns, rural settings and very likely in a community near you. They hail from countries spanning the globe, and their ranks include women, children and men. They are enslaved for a variety of purposes, including agricultural and sweatshop laborers, domestic servants, nannies, restaurant and hotel workers, landscapers, manicurists, prostitutes and pornographic models, actors and dancers.