Washington scores high in fight against human trafficking

OLYMPIA – In a first-ever report card issued on human trafficking, Washington rates highly among the 50 states for efforts to confront human trafficking of women and girls into the country. The Center for Women Policy Studies issued the analysis, which grades the states on five key measures, including criminalization, victim protection and assistance, a statewide task force, regulating international marriage brokers, and regulating international travel service providers. Washington is the only state in the nation to have passed legislation in each action area. The report card found that 27 states have enacted some form of legislation to combat trafficking, while 23 states received a grade of “F’ for failing to take any action.

Often called the modern-day version of slavery, human trafficking involves transporting people within and across borders for multiple reasons: to be forcibly placed in sweatshops, perform domestic or agricultural labor, work in the sex trade, or be married through marriage brokers, also known as international matchmaking organizations. The U.S. Department of State estimates each year 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders; up to 17,500 foreign nationals annually are brought to the United States. Half of these victims are children; 70 percent are female.

The high marks earned by Washington come as no surprise to Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle. “Washington has long been a trailblazer in human anti-trafficking laws,” Kohl-Welles said. “We began to tackle this horrific problem 5 years ago, and have been making steady progress ever since.”

Washington’s laws grew from efforts by then-Rep. Velma Veloria to establish the nation’s first anti-trafficking task force. The murders by their husbands of Anastasia King and Susannah Blackwell, who came from abroad through international marriage organizations (IMOs) to Washington, prompted additional legislation.

Federal efforts to stem abuses by IMOs, introduced by Democrats Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Rick Larsen in 2003 and 2005, were modeled on Washington’s laws.

Washington’s grades were as follows:

• Criminalization statutes: “B” (three states received “B+”, six received “B”);
• Victim protection and assistance: “C-” (four states received higher grades);
• Statewide task forces: “A” (five states received the same grade);
• Regulating international marriage brokers: “C” (two states received higher grades); and
• Regulating travel service providers: “A” (two states also received “As”).

The report card singles out Washington as a repeated national leader on the issue.

“Since 2002, when Washington became the first state in the United States to enact anti-trafficking legislation, states have made great strides forward in confronting these complex issues,” the report card reads. “We take this opportunity to honor Washington for blazing a trail for other states to follow — passing the first state criminalization law in 2003, creating the first statewide interagency task force in 2002, and passing the first legislation to regulate international marriage brokers in 2002.”

Kohl-Welles, who sponsored Washington’s legislation regulating IMOs as well as legislation aimed at improving services for trafficking victims, said that more remains to be done.

“We can’t rest on our laurels. Since Washington’s 76 public ports and long international border make our state particularly attractive to traffickers, we must know how to deal with trafficking when we see it here,” Kohl-Welles said.

Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County, who sponsored Washington’s legislation to ban travel services that include or facilitate travel for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, agreed.

“Washington received some great marks in this report card and is receiving a lot of good recognition,” said Fraser. “But the report also makes some great suggestions for ways we can improve. It’s a very constructive report — while we may be on the national cutting edge in dealing with this issue, there’s still work to be done.”

Fraser noted the report’s specific recommendations for how Washington can strengthen its statutes regulating international marriage brokers and providing victim protection and assistance.

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