Listen to this article
The Salvation Army responds to human trafficking.
by Buffy Lincoln with Rohida Khan –
History records that slave trading ended with President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In actual physical history, however, this has not played out. Quite to the contrary, slavery continues to exist—and flourish—under its new name: human trafficking.
Not only is slavery alive today, it could very well exist in your community. Reports by the federal government reveal that human trafficking is the second foremost business of choice in the world today—sharing its position with illegal arms dealings and both second only to drug dealing. Of these three, human trafficking is the fastest growing.
What is human trafficking? It’s a hidden crime against humanity involving forced labor and/or sexual exploitation—a literal robbing of a person’s free will and God-given right to make one’s own choices. Traffickers use force, coercion, threats, bondage and fear to control their victims and keep them in servitude. Living behind locked doors, they are stripped of passports and identification, and often barraged with threats against their loved ones.
The Army gets involved
The Salvation Army (TSA) Western Territory’s response to human slavery began in 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. The grant proposed “comprehensive response to victims of human trafficking” and consisted of one program, NETS—Network for Emergency Trafficking Services—at three sites—Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Texas—one full-time specialist, four part-time staff members and 10 volunteers. By the end of 2008 this service expanded to include Las Vegas, Nev.; Hawaii and the Pacific Islands; Orange County, Calif.
The program has five goals:
Increase identification of trafficking victims
Develop protocols to guide response to trafficking cases
Train service providers and law enforcement to respond appropriately to identified cases
Meet the needs of all victims identified in the project area
Prosecute all traffickers.
Answering the call to eradicate human abuse and restore human dignity and freedom, the Army has stepped up its efforts by offering safety programs, support, counseling, housing and mentoring to those rescued from this life of bondage.
Capable administration
Rohida Khan is the director of NETS for The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters based in Long Beach, Calif. Prior to the Army she worked as program director of human trafficking and domestic violence for the Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) in Orange County, Calif., directing the affairs of the third largest domestic violence program in the nation. She worked as program director for the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Political Torture Victims Program with the African Community Resource Center (ACRC). She has Master’s degrees in International Relations, Psychology and Political Science. She also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and completed a law degree in her native country of Pakistan.
“I believe [human trafficking] is my calling and I have dedicated my life to help make a difference in the lives of less fortunate ones,” states Khan. “The Salvation Army’s mission statement—‘while women weep’—is what attracted me to TSA.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime against humanity,” she says. “The Army has taken a lead role in mobilizing and educating several cities across the territory to respond to this crisis. These sites include Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Tex. To date, we have provided services to more than 200 victims of human trafficking throughout the territory.”
How it works
So what exactly does someone do to save victims of trafficking? What does a day in the life of a rescuer look like?
Khan is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because she partners with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE—formerly INS), it’s not uncommon for her to receive a call at 10:00 p.m. at night or 4:00 a.m. in the morning advising her of a recent raid that resulted in the arrest of one or more girls who may be victims. At that point, she springs into action.
“I will go to the ICE office to provide support for the victims and arrange for their shelter, safety, clothes, etc. I take information about my program and TSA.” Her program isn’t mandatory and the person always has the right to refuse help from her.
Her work doesn’t involve pre- or post investigation of the traffickers. She becomes involved after the local authorities have safely removed the girls from the raid site. “We are not an investigating agency so I never have to do that,” she says.
After her initial contact with the victims and their safe placement in a TSA shelter or domestic violence shelter, she keeps in touch with the women, the shelter, their attorney, their mental health service provider and ICE. She supervises the case until it is successfully dealt with.
In Khan’s planning, “successfully dealt with” is achieved when a person in her care receives certification. Certification ensures the person gets their work authorization documentation, identification and all the benefits available to legal refugees.
Never alone
Although Khan works with a case manager, her assistant isn’t always available to accompany her—especially on late-night or early-morning raids. But this doesn’t prove a problem to her.
“My husband and my kids—one boy and two girls—are volunteers in my program and are always there to help the victims,” she stated. “My children are volunteers in shelters and are [always willing] to help me in my program. When I get a call late at night I have to take my husband with me.”
Making progress
The human trafficking network is overwhelming and growing larger daily. It would appear to be an unsolvable situation because of its immensity. But Khan sees it through more positive eyes.
“In the case of foreign victims—which my grant includes—99 percent of my contacts were provided services and the cases were successful,” she says. “Not all the traffickers were prosecuted and punished. You focus and do what has been laid out before you to help the victims. We can only do so much.”
Training continues
The Western Territory developed the Western Territory Anti-Trafficking Council to assist in the development of programs throughout their area; it is an integral part of the program, consisting of specialists from various divisions. They meet monthly via a conference call and once or twice a year in person to discuss challenges and share success stories. The council helps guide the Army’s response to the crime of human trafficking in the territory. All members of the council are trained for victim response.
Earlier this year, a meeting was held at the conclusion of the Western Territory’s Social Service Round table—an annual social services meeting sponsored by territorial headquarters and chaired by Major Allie Niles, social services secretary for the Western Territory and supervisor over Khan’s human trafficking department. Participants discussed plans to address, meet and expand The Salvation Army’s ministry to victims of human trafficking.
History records that slave trading ended with President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In actual physical history, however, this has not played out. Quite to the contrary, slavery continues to exist—and flourish—under its new name: human trafficking.
Not only is slavery alive today, it could very well exist in your community. Reports by the federal government reveal that human trafficking is the second foremost business of choice in the world today—sharing its position with illegal arms dealings and both second only to drug dealing. Of these three, human trafficking is the fastest growing.
What is human trafficking? It’s a hidden crime against humanity involving forced labor and/or sexual exploitation—a literal robbing of a person’s free will and God-given right to make one’s own choices. Traffickers use force, coercion, threats, bondage and fear to control their victims and keep them in servitude. Living behind locked doors, they are stripped of passports and identification, and often barraged with threats against their loved ones.
The Army gets involved
The Salvation Army (TSA) Western Territory’s response to human slavery began in 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. The grant proposed “comprehensive response to victims of human trafficking” and consisted of one program, NETS—Network for Emergency Trafficking Services—at three sites—Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Texas—one full-time specialist, four part-time staff members and 10 volunteers. By the end of 2008 this service expanded to include Las Vegas, Nev.; Hawaii and the Pacific Islands; Orange County, Calif.
The program has five goals:
Increase identification of trafficking victims
Develop protocols to guide response to trafficking cases
Train service providers and law enforcement to respond appropriately to identified cases
Meet the needs of all victims identified in the project area
Prosecute all traffickers.
Answering the call to eradicate human abuse and restore human dignity and freedom, the Army has stepped up its efforts by offering safety programs, support, counseling, housing and mentoring to those rescued from this life of bondage.
Capable administration
Rohida Khan is the director of NETS for The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters based in Long Beach, Calif. Prior to the Army she worked as program director of human trafficking and domestic violence for the Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) in Orange County, Calif., directing the affairs of the third largest domestic violence program in the nation. She worked as program director for the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Political Torture Victims Program with the African Community Resource Center (ACRC). She has Master’s degrees in International Relations, Psychology and Political Science. She also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and completed a law degree in her native country of Pakistan.
“I believe [human trafficking] is my calling and I have dedicated my life to help make a difference in the lives of less fortunate ones,” states Khan. “The Salvation Army’s mission statement—‘while women weep’—is what attracted me to TSA.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime against humanity,” she says. “The Army has taken a lead role in mobilizing and educating several cities across the territory to respond to this crisis. These sites include Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Tex. To date, we have provided services to more than 200 victims of human trafficking throughout the territory.”
How it works
So what exactly does someone do to save victims of trafficking? What does a day in the life of a rescuer look like?
Khan is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because she partners with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE—formerly INS), it’s not uncommon for her to receive a call at 10:00 p.m. at night or 4:00 a.m. in the morning advising her of a recent raid that resulted in the arrest of one or more girls who may be victims. At that point, she springs into action.
“I will go to the ICE office to provide support for the victims and arrange for their shelter, safety, clothes, etc. I take information about my program and TSA.” Her program isn’t mandatory and the person always has the right to refuse help from her.
Her work doesn’t involve pre- or post investigation of the traffickers. She becomes involved after the local authorities have safely removed the girls from the raid site. “We are not an investigating agency so I never have to do that,” she says.
After her initial contact with the victims and their safe placement in a TSA shelter or domestic violence shelter, she keeps in touch with the women, the shelter, their attorney, their mental health service provider and ICE. She supervises the case until it is successfully dealt with.
In Khan’s planning, “successfully dealt with” is achieved when a person in her care receives certification. Certification ensures the person gets their work authorization documentation, identification and all the benefits available to legal refugees.
Never alone
Although Khan works with a case manager, her assistant isn’t always available to accompany her—especially on late-night or early-morning raids. But this doesn’t prove a problem to her.
“My husband and my kids—one boy and two girls—are volunteers in my program and are always there to help the victims,” she stated. “My children are volunteers in shelters and are [always willing] to help me in my program. When I get a call late at night I have to take my husband with me.”
Making progress
The human trafficking network is overwhelming and growing larger daily. It would appear to be an unsolvable situation because of its immensity. But Khan sees it through more positive eyes.
“In the case of foreign victims—which my grant includes—99 percent of my contacts were provided services and the cases were successful,” she says. “Not all the traffickers were prosecuted and punished. You focus and do what has been laid out before you to help the victims. We can only do so much.”
Training continues
The Western Territory developed the Western Territory Anti-Trafficking Council to assist in the development of programs throughout their area; it is an integral part of the program, consisting of specialists from various divisions. They meet monthly via a conference call and once or twice a year in person to discuss challenges and share success stories. The council helps guide the Army’s response to the crime of human trafficking in the territory. All members of the council are trained for victim response.
Earlier this year, a meeting was held at the conclusion of the Western Territory’s Social Service Round table—an annual social services meeting sponsored by territorial headquarters and chaired by Major Allie Niles, social services secretary for the Western Territory and supervisor over Khan’s human trafficking department. Participants discussed plans to address, meet and expand The Salvation Army’s ministry to victims of human trafficking.
History records that slave trading ended with President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In actual physical history, however, this has not played out. Quite to the contrary, slavery continues to exist—and flourish—under its new name: human trafficking.
Not only is slavery alive today, it could very well exist in your community. Reports by the federal government reveal that human trafficking is the second foremost business of choice in the world today—sharing its position with illegal arms dealings and both second only to drug dealing. Of these three, human trafficking is the fastest growing.
What is human trafficking? It’s a hidden crime against humanity involving forced labor and/or sexual exploitation—a literal robbing of a person’s free will and God-given right to make one’s own choices. Traffickers use force, coercion, threats, bondage and fear to control their victims and keep them in servitude. Living behind locked doors, they are stripped of passports and identification, and often barraged with threats against their loved ones.
The Army gets involved
The Salvation Army (TSA) Western Territory’s response to human slavery began in 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. The grant proposed “comprehensive response to victims of human trafficking” and consisted of one program, NETS—Network for Emergency Trafficking Services—at three sites—Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Texas—one full-time specialist, four part-time staff members and 10 volunteers. By the end of 2008 this service expanded to include Las Vegas, Nev.; Hawaii and the Pacific Islands; Orange County, Calif.
The program has five goals:
Increase identification of trafficking victims
Develop protocols to guide response to trafficking cases
Train service providers and law enforcement to respond appropriately to identified cases
Meet the needs of all victims identified in the project area
Prosecute all traffickers.
Answering the call to eradicate human abuse and restore human dignity and freedom, the Army has stepped up its efforts by offering safety programs, support, counseling, housing and mentoring to those rescued from this life of bondage.
Capable administration
Rohida Khan is the director of NETS for The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters based in Long Beach, Calif. Prior to the Army she worked as program director of human trafficking and domestic violence for the Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) in Orange County, Calif., directing the affairs of the third largest domestic violence program in the nation. She worked as program director for the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Political Torture Victims Program with the African Community Resource Center (ACRC). She has Master’s degrees in International Relations, Psychology and Political Science. She also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and completed a law degree in her native country of Pakistan.
“I believe [human trafficking] is my calling and I have dedicated my life to help make a difference in the lives of less fortunate ones,” states Khan. “The Salvation Army’s mission statement—‘while women weep’—is what attracted me to TSA.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime against humanity,” she says. “The Army has taken a lead role in mobilizing and educating several cities across the territory to respond to this crisis. These sites include Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Tex. To date, we have provided services to more than 200 victims of human trafficking throughout the territory.”
How it works
So what exactly does someone do to save victims of trafficking? What does a day in the life of a rescuer look like?
Khan is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because she partners with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE—formerly INS), it’s not uncommon for her to receive a call at 10:00 p.m. at night or 4:00 a.m. in the morning advising her of a recent raid that resulted in the arrest of one or more girls who may be victims. At that point, she springs into action.
“I will go to the ICE office to provide support for the victims and arrange for their shelter, safety, clothes, etc. I take information about my program and TSA.” Her program isn’t mandatory and the person always has the right to refuse help from her.
Her work doesn’t involve pre- or post investigation of the traffickers. She becomes involved after the local authorities have safely removed the girls from the raid site. “We are not an investigating agency so I never have to do that,” she says.
After her initial contact with the victims and their safe placement in a TSA shelter or domestic violence shelter, she keeps in touch with the women, the shelter, their attorney, their mental health service provider and ICE. She supervises the case until it is successfully dealt with.
In Khan’s planning, “successfully dealt with” is achieved when a person in her care receives certification. Certification ensures the person gets their work authorization documentation, identification and all the benefits available to legal refugees.
Never alone
Although Khan works with a case manager, her assistant isn’t always available to accompany her—especially on late-night or early-morning raids. But this doesn’t prove a problem to her.
“My husband and my kids—one boy and two girls—are volunteers in my program and are always there to help the victims,” she stated. “My children are volunteers in shelters and are [always willing] to help me in my program. When I get a call late at night I have to take my husband with me.”
Making progress
The human trafficking network is overwhelming and growing larger daily. It would appear to be an unsolvable situation because of its immensity. But Khan sees it through more positive eyes.
“In the case of foreign victims—which my grant includes—99 percent of my contacts were provided services and the cases were successful,” she says. “Not all the traffickers were prosecuted and punished. You focus and do what has been laid out before you to help the victims. We can only do so much.”
Training continues
The Western Territory developed the Western Territory Anti-Trafficking Council to assist in the development of programs throughout their area; it is an integral part of the program, consisting of specialists from various divisions. They meet monthly via a conference call and once or twice a year in person to discuss challenges and share success stories. The council helps guide the Army’s response to the crime of human trafficking in the territory. All members of the council are trained for victim response.
Earlier this year, a meeting was held at the conclusion of the Western Territory’s Social Service Round table—an annual social services meeting sponsored by territorial headquarters and chaired by Major Allie Niles, social services secretary for the Western Territory and supervisor over Khan’s human trafficking department. Participants discussed plans to address, meet and expand The Salvation Army’s ministry to victims of human trafficking.
History records that slave trading ended with President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In actual physical history, however, this has not played out. Quite to the contrary, slavery continues to exist—and flourish—under its new name: human trafficking.
Not only is slavery alive today, it could very well exist in your community. Reports by the federal government reveal that human trafficking is the second foremost business of choice in the world today—sharing its position with illegal arms dealings and both second only to drug dealing. Of these three, human trafficking is the fastest growing.
What is human trafficking? It’s a hidden crime against humanity involving forced labor and/or sexual exploitation—a literal robbing of a person’s free will and God-given right to make one’s own choices. Traffickers use force, coercion, threats, bondage and fear to control their victims and keep them in servitude. Living behind locked doors, they are stripped of passports and identification, and often barraged with threats against their loved ones.
The Army gets involved
The Salvation Army (TSA) Western Territory’s response to human slavery began in 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. The grant proposed “comprehensive response to victims of human trafficking” and consisted of one program, NETS—Network for Emergency Trafficking Services—at three sites—Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Texas—one full-time specialist, four part-time staff members and 10 volunteers. By the end of 2008 this service expanded to include Las Vegas, Nev.; Hawaii and the Pacific Islands; Orange County, Calif.
The program has five goals:
Increase identification of trafficking victims
Develop protocols to guide response to trafficking cases
Train service providers and law enforcement to respond appropriately to identified cases
Meet the needs of all victims identified in the project area
Prosecute all traffickers.
Answering the call to eradicate human abuse and restore human dignity and freedom, the Army has stepped up its efforts by offering safety programs, support, counseling, housing and mentoring to those rescued from this life of bondage.
Capable administration
Rohida Khan is the director of NETS for The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters based in Long Beach, Calif. Prior to the Army she worked as program director of human trafficking and domestic violence for the Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) in Orange County, Calif., directing the affairs of the third largest domestic violence program in the nation. She worked as program director for the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Political Torture Victims Program with the African Community Resource Center (ACRC). She has Master’s degrees in International Relations, Psychology and Political Science. She also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and completed a law degree in her native country of Pakistan.
“I believe [human trafficking] is my calling and I have dedicated my life to help make a difference in the lives of less fortunate ones,” states Khan. “The Salvation Army’s mission statement—‘while women weep’—is what attracted me to TSA.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime against humanity,” she says. “The Army has taken a lead role in mobilizing and educating several cities across the territory to respond to this crisis. These sites include Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colo.; and El Paso, Tex. To date, we have provided services to more than 200 victims of human trafficking throughout the territory.”
How it works
So what exactly does someone do to save victims of trafficking? What does a day in the life of a rescuer look like?
Khan is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because she partners with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE—formerly INS), it’s not uncommon for her to receive a call at 10:00 p.m. at night or 4:00 a.m. in the morning advising her of a recent raid that resulted in the arrest of one or more girls who may be victims. At that point, she springs into action.
“I will go to the ICE office to provide support for the victims and arrange for their shelter, safety, clothes, etc. I take information about my program and TSA.” Her program isn’t mandatory and the person always has the right to refuse help from her.
Her work doesn’t involve pre- or post investigation of the traffickers. She becomes involved after the local authorities have safely removed the girls from the raid site. “We are not an investigating agency so I never have to do that,” she says.
After her initial contact with the victims and their safe placement in a TSA shelter or domestic violence shelter, she keeps in touch with the women, the shelter, their attorney, their mental health service provider and ICE. She supervises the case until it is successfully dealt with.
In Khan’s planning, “successfully dealt with” is achieved when a person in her care receives certification. Certification ensures the person gets their work authorization documentation, identification and all the benefits available to legal refugees.
Never alone
Although Khan works with a case manager, her assistant isn’t always available to accompany her—especially on late-night or early-morning raids. But this doesn’t prove a problem to her.
“My husband and my kids—one boy and two girls—are volunteers in my program and are always there to help the victims,” she stated. “My children are volunteers in shelters and are [always willing] to help me in my program. When I get a call late at night I have to take my husband with me.”
Making progress
The human trafficking network is overwhelming and growing larger daily. It would appear to be an unsolvable situation because of its immensity. But Khan sees it through more positive eyes.
“In the case of foreign victims—which my grant includes—99 percent of my contacts were provided services and the cases were successful,” she says. “Not all the traffickers were prosecuted and punished. You focus and do what has been laid out before you to help the victims. We can only do so much.”
Training continues
The Western Territory developed the Western Territory Anti-Trafficking Council to assist in the development of programs throughout their area; it is an integral part of the program, consisting of specialists from various divisions. They meet monthly via a conference call and once or twice a year in person to discuss challenges and share success stories. The council helps guide the Army’s response to the crime of human trafficking in the territory. All members of the council are trained for victim response.
Earlier this year, a meeting was held at the conclusion of the Western Territory’s Social Service Roundtable—an annual social services meeting sponsored by territorial headquarters and chaired by Major Allie Niles, social services secretary for the Western Territory and supervisor over Khan’s human trafficking department. Participants discussed plans to address, meet and expand The Salvation Army’s ministry to victims of human trafficking.
