"I commend members of the House for
taking this step towards eradicating modern-day slavery in
Illinois," Gov. Blagojevich said. "We need to make sure not only
that those who are forcing immigrants to live and work in horrific
conditions are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law, but also that the innocent victims can receive the help they
need to rebuild their lives. We are now one step closer to that
goal, thanks to the representatives who approved this bill."
The legislation, sponsored by state
Rep. Michelle Chavez, D-Cicero, and now on its way to the Senate,
would define human trafficking crimes and create criminal offenses
and penalties, making it easier for prosecutors to charge those
involved in human trafficking rings. The penalty for forcing a
person into servitude would range from a Class 4 to a Class X felony
if the victim is kidnapped or injured. The bill allows for
restitution to pay back a victim for forced labor and also expands
potential resources available to victims by allowing the Illinois
Department of Human Services to provide emergency victim services.
Human trafficking is the fastest
growing criminal industry in the world today. Each year,
approximately 800,000 to 900,000 victims are trafficked across
international borders and between 18,000 and 20,000 of those are
brought into the United States, according to the U.S. State
Department. The New York Times, in a January 2004 magazine article,
labeled the Chicago area a national hub for human traffickers.
[to top of second column in this article]
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In March, the governor announced a
broad-based, statewide coalition to address the growing phenomenon
of human sex and labor trafficking. This coalition is the first in
the nation to commit substantial government resources to the problem
of human trafficking on a statewide basis. The Department of Human
Services, Illinois State Police, Department of Children and Family
Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Human Rights have
teamed up with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and
Chicago's Heartland Alliance to organize the Rescue and Restore
campaign. Rescue and Restore is a federal, state and local
partnership designed to inform the public of human trafficking and
to locate victims and refer them to the available resources.
[News release from the governor's
office]
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