Victims of trafficking face many challenges in seeking services due to their unique situations.

Frequently victims:

• Fear and distrust health care providers, government, and law enforcement.
• Are unaware that what is being done to them is a crime because they:
  • Do not consider themselves victims
  • Blame themselves for their situations
  • May develop loyalties and/or positive feelings toward trafficker as coping mechanisms
  • May try to protect trafficker from authorities
  • Sometimes victims do not know where they are, because traffickers frequently move them to escape detection

Undocumented immigrants in the US are highly vulnerable due to a combination of factors in addition to those listed above.

Those factors include:

• Do not speak English and are unfamiliar with the U.S. culture
• Lack of legal status and protections
• Limited employment options
• Poverty and immigration-related debts
• Social isolation
• Fear of deportation

Individuals are often victimized by traffickers from a similar ethnic or national background, on whom they may be dependent for employment or a means of support.

WEAVE provides culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services to help minimize barriers victims of trafficking may face.