A Legal Analysis of Labor Trafficking Cases with a Transportation Lens

Publication Date

10-6-2025

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Transportation Research Record

Volume

2680

Issue

1

DOI

10.1177/03611981251362159

First Page

684

Last Page

696

Abstract

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries with $150 billion in annual profits and an estimate of over 27.6 million victims exploited through commercial sex or forced labor activities. Although transportation of a victim is not necessary for a crime to be considered human trafficking, the transportation industry plays a crucial role in every stage of the trafficking process. This is especially true for labor trafficking victims, who generally have severely limited or no mobility during long periods of exploitation. As such, there is a great need for dedicated research focused exclusively on labor trafficking. Overwhelming evidence suggests that labor trafficking (without the presence of overlapping sex trafficking charges) is woefully underprosecuted in the United States. This study seeks to close a gap in understanding the labor trafficking timeline by examining the role of transportation through a systematic review of labor trafficking cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate successfully litigated cases with respect to the role of transportation. The insights from the 16 opinions selected, issued at various points in the litigation process, shed light on ways the transportation network could disrupt the trafficking process, serve as a resource point for victims attempting escape, and support the prosecution of traffickers.

Keywords

labor trafficking, law, legal analysis, prosecution, state and federal legislation

Department

Marketing and Business Analytics

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