The U.S. Department of State became aware of the issue of human trafficking and began monitoring it in 1994. At first, it seemed to only be a problem for women and girls for sexual purposes but, contrary to popular belief, human trafficking does not only include sex trafficking, it encompasses all forms of forced labor, and as time went on, they realized it was a much larger issue, affecting a much larger spectrum of people. (ABC 1) Sex trafficking does account for the trade of about fifty-six percent of trafficking victims (according to a U.S. White House fact sheet on trafficking states), but the other forty-four percent includes other work such as: agriculture, domestic service, construction, sweat shop manufacturing, and hotel and restaurant work. All of this, and more can be found in California, New York, Texas, and Florida, the states with the highest amount of human trafficking, accounting for forty-eight percent of trafficking cases. Being largely populated states they all have “…considerable immigrant communities, all of which serve as transit hubs for international travel.” (Cullen-DuPont 45) Aside from these four, trafficking has been found in over half of the U.S. states and counting, with no end in sight.

Debbie is a fifteen-year-old middle child from Phoenix, Arizona. On a day like any other she got a call from Bianca, an acquaintance asking if she could come by Debbie’s house. In her Sponge Bob pajamas Debbie walked outside, Bianca pulled up in a Cadillac with two older guys, and they talked for a while until Bianca said they needed to go. As Debbie went to give Bianca a hug, Bianca pushed her into the car. Once inside, the men threatened Bianca and told her to tie Debbie up. Debbie’s mom, who was right inside, was clueless to what was happening. They drove around the city for hours before bringing the girls to an apartment building only