The U.S. Senate passed a resolution June 22, 2007, to designate Jan. 11 as a day of awareness and vigilance for the victims of human trafficking across the globe. Human trafficking, which includes sex trafficking and forced labor, represents the fastest growing criminal industry in the world generating an estimated $32 billion in annual profits.

Most Americans who are aware that slavery exists today assume it is happening outside the U. S. The number of individuals, both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens, who find themselves in bondage on U.S. soil is greatly increasing. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the average entry age into prostitution in the U.S. is 13.  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates that more than 100,000 American children are ...