St. Paul campaign reaches out to trafficking victims

Signs have been placed on St. Paul bus shelters to encourage human tracking victims to seek help.

Last update: November 4, 2009 - 9:44 PM

In cities across America -- including St. Paul -- federal officials are reaching out to victims of human trafficking through a public service campaign. "Hidden in Plain Sight" is meant to draw attention to the plight of human trafficking victims and embolden them to seek rescue.

Officials say public service advertisements have been posted on billboards and transit shelters in cities where investigators believe victims may be working.

In St. Paul, 12 posters are on display in bus shelters.

Often, workers are duped into coming to this country for a job, only to find bosses who take their passports and force them into work such as prostitution to pay for their travel. Sometimes, their families are threatened if they don't agree.

Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of criminal investigations for the Minnesota office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said victims of human trafficking don't often realize that they can just walk away.

"Often, they are not physically restrained. But they turned over their passport to the people they work for and they think that by not having their passport, they are somehow restricted," Arnold said. "The hope is that this campaign will convince them it is just a matter of walking away and going to authorities. We want to get that out there. You can get help."

It is estimated that 800,000 men, women and children are victims of trafficking around the world. In May 2007, ICE arrested 25 people in the Twin Cities for their role in running a major Minnesota prostitution ring in a number of brothels.

Anyone who suspects that people are being forced to work against their will is asked to contact an anonymous ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

JAMES WALSH

Recent Local + Metro stories

Deaths elsewhere - November 4, 2009

Deaths elsewhere - Ken Ober, 52, a comedian and actor who as host of MTV's "Remote Control" in the 1980s guided the raucous question-and-answer trivia contests on the irreverent cable TV game show, died Sunday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. Friends said Ober had flu-like symptoms. Autopsy results have not been released. More