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Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta holds a press conference at the U.S. Department of Labor on July 10th, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

News in Brief

The Secretary of Labor Wants to Cut Funding for an Agency That Combats Human Trafficking

Acosta, who is currently under scrutiny for his 2008 plea deal for Jeffrey Epstein, has proposed an 80 percent cut to the Bureau of International Labor Affairs' budget.

Kelley Czajka

Advocates say recent shifts within the Department of Labor will add extra layers to the visa application process.

News in Brief

The Department of Labor Is Making It Harder for Trafficking Victims to Get Protection

Advocates fear that a new policy on visa certifications will further discourage survivors from reporting crimes.

Isabela Dias

Viewfinder: A Raid on Suspected Human Traffickers in Guatemala

A Guatemalan policeman prepares to take part in an early morning raid during which a suspected human trafficker was taken into custody on May 29th, 2019, in Guatemala City.

Pacific Standard Staff

Social Justice

Hilton’s New Human Trafficking Policy May Hurt Victims More Than Help

By sharing ICE's tip line with guests, the international hotel chain exposes trafficking victims and others to greater possible harm.

Arvind Dilawar

Sex worker Tiara Tae shows reporter Noor Tagouri around the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, an elite brothel in Nevada.

Social Justice

‘Which Kids Do We Care About?’: A Conversation With Noor Tagouri

The journalist and documentarian discusses her three-part documentary about sex work and human trafficking.

Zaron Burnett III

News in Brief

Human Trafficking, After the Headlines

If you were asked to imagine what a survivor of human trafficking looked like, how would you picture…

Melissa Gira Grant

News in Brief

The Backpage Saga: A Symbol Goes on Trial, a Woman Goes to Jail

The night before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on Backpage, the word “CENSORED” appeared on the…

Melissa Gira Grant

News in Brief

Pizzagate and the Long Legacy of the Fabricated Sex Slave

“Sex Slave Story Revealed to Be Fabricated.” This headline could have run in a recent Washington Post, atop…

Melissa Gira Grant

Social Justice

The Law’s Tougher on Sex Workers Today Than It Was in the 19th Century

How suffragettes, wartime paranoia, and 9/11 stripped Victorian entrepreneurs of rights and reputation.

Noah Berlatsky

Economics

The Future of Work: A Living Wage and Freedom for Today’s Slaves

The latest entry in a special project in which business and labor leaders, social scientists, technology visionaries, activists, and journalists weigh in on the most consequential changes in the workplace.

Katherine R. Jolluck