Human Trafficking Lawyers in Houston, Texas
Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, victims of human trafficking were granted the right to recover civil damages for their injuries, losses, and damages. This law gave victims of human trafficking and their families the right to bring private claims against individuals and companies that may have known or should have known that human trafficking was taking place on their properties. Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is a human trafficking law firm in Houston, Texas that works with victims and their families to help them seek damages against hotel companies that should have known or knew that human trafficking was taking place on their properties. Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC has filed cases on behalf of human trafficking victims and their families and will be filing additional cases on behalf of human trafficking victims and their families.
Our law firm understands how sensitive a human trafficking case can be to victims. It is understandable that you might want to protect your anonymity and may not want your name to be associated as a victim with a human trafficking case. When Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC accepts cases from victims, our firm takes steps to protect your anonymity and your family’s anonymity, as we fight to hold responsible parties accountable.
Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC understands how difficult it can be for human trafficking victims to come forward. In recent months and years we have had to challenge the popular conception of who human trafficking victims are. While immigrant populations are at risk, human trafficking victims can also be U.S. citizen youths who are homeless, runaways, or vulnerable young girls who are lured by predators through the internet. If you are a victim of human trafficking or your family’s life has been shattered by human trafficking, you may have important rights under the law. Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is a human trafficking law firm in Houston, Texas currently taking cases where individuals were trafficked in hotels and where the property owners knew or should have known that human trafficking took place. These lawsuits not only serve to reinforce the fact that major companies should take steps in training staff and managers how to identify the tell-tale signs of human trafficking, but also serve to assist victims and their families who may need a range of resources to get back on their feet.
Human Trafficking Resources
The National Human Trafficking Hotline notes that there are an estimated 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally, with hundreds of thousands of these victims residing in the U.S. While some human trafficking victims are immigrants, many human trafficking victims are also U.S. citizens, young girls, teens, and runaways who have been groomed by a trafficker to enter the sex industry. Any child under the age of 18 that has been forced into performing commercial sex acts is a victim of human trafficking. Adults over age 18 that have been forced into a commercial sex act through fraud, coercion, or force, are also victims of human trafficking. The most vulnerable populations for human trafficking include vulnerable youths, like runaways, or homeless children who may be manipulated into human trafficking by a person pretending to be a boyfriend or significant other.
According to Psychology Today, “Traffickers are masters of manipulating and exploiting at risk girls. These traffickers, who can be regarded as pimps, groom their victims, gaining their trust and loyalty by preying upon their vulnerabilities and showering them with praise or even gifts.” Young women and teens who become human trafficking victims may need years of therapy, counseling, and assistance to reintegrate themselves back into everyday life. They may struggle with relationships with family, friends, and may struggle with forming intimate relationships. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, some of the services that these young women may need include:
- Counseling and Crisis Intervention
- Emergency Shelter
- Healthcare
- Food and Clothing
- Job Training and Education
- Witness Protection
- And more
Links to Human Trafficking Resources:
ovc.ncjrs.gov/humantrafficking/resources.html
humantraffickinghouston.org/resources
The needs of victims of human trafficking are often complex. These young women might be victims of prior abuse. They may be socially isolated or may be trying to leave socially isolating situations. They may fear coming forward and they may fear their abusers. Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is a human trafficking law firm in Houston, Texas that works closely with victims of human trafficking and their families to help them get the resources they need. Our attorneys work to fight for victims’ rights through the civil court system. Our law firm is currently taking cases where victims of human trafficking were trafficked through hotels where the hotel owners, managers, and staff knew, or should have known, that trafficking was taking place. According to the U.S. Department of State, some signs of human trafficking include:
- Inability to leave a job or move freely
- Threats of violence if the person tries to leave
- Living with an employer in cramped conditions or in a hotel room
- Person is told they are in debt to an employer
- Employer has retained a person’s passport or identification information
These are just some of the signs of human trafficking. According to the Department of Homeland Security, victims of human trafficking in hotels may look malnourished, may show signs of poor hygiene, may look fatigued or sleep deprived, may lack freedom of movement, or may have no control over their money or ID. Appearance of many condoms in a wastebasket, sexual paraphernalia, or hotel rooms where staff are not allowed in to perform cleaning could also be signs of human trafficking. Other signs could include one person renting out many hotel rooms.
If you or someone you love was a victim of human trafficking in a hotel, Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is a lawyer currently taking the cases of these victims and their families. Our attorneys work hard to preserve your anonymity while also helping you get the resources you may need. According to the Houston Chronicle, victims of human trafficking may attempt to leave their trafficker as many as seven times before they are successful. Having proper community support is essential for a person to leave such an abusive situation. Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is a law firm in Houston, Texas that cares about victims of human trafficking and is fighting hard to hold companies accountable to identify potential victims. When companies fail to take action, modern day human slavery continues, unchecked.
For additional information visit our main human trafficking web page and our human trafficking resource page.
