Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Christabelle was born in Massachusetts but moved around with her father who was in the military. From the age of six her father sexually molested her, made her do forced labor both domestic and in the garden and rented her out to his friends who used her as a domestic and sex slave. This lasted until she was 12. She eventually escaped and found herself battling a severe alcohol problem and then became a prostitute working her way around the United States, from truck stop to truck stop. Eventually, she met an older woman who helped her to stop drinking and she now resides in a homeless shelter as she tries to rebuild her life. The organization Fair Girls is helping her to rebuild her life.
Vultures are everywhere in the town of Immokalee, Florida.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Thousands of people are trafficked on America's immense and complicated system of highways and roads throughout the United States each year.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Dishes in a condemned and abandoned migrant camp in Immokalee, Florida.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Amanda Stephen was brought to the United States by her mother. She was forced to be a domestic worker and perform sexual favors by the man who was giving her shelter. She has recently applied for asylum and has come out as a person who was trafficked. She is currently living in a homeless shelter in the Washington DC area and is being helped by Fair Girls.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs from slave labor camp near Immokalee, Florida where Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez, among others, forced mostly undocumented Central American and Mexican migrants to become modern day slaves. The labor camp, although decaying still stands where it stood in 1997, when the two men were prosecuted. In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomez had a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and members from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs from slave labor camp near Immokalee, Florida where Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez, among others, forced mostly undocumented Central American and Mexican migrants to become modern day slaves. The labor camp, although decaying still stands where it stood in 1997, when the two men were prosecuted. In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomez had a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and members from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs from slave labor camp near Immokalee, Florida where Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez, among others, forced mostly undocumented Central American and Mexican migrants to become modern day slaves. The labor camp, although decaying still stands where it stood in 1997, when the two men were prosecuted. In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomez had a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and members from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. For more than a year Geronimo Sanchez Bravo was forced to work and live as a slave in downtown Immokalee for about a year. During that time he was forced to live in a large truck in the front yard of a normal looking house and pick tomatoes for his captors. . Eventually, several workers made a hole in the top of the truck and were able to escape and get help. They went directly to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who helped Geronimo and the others to escape. Geronimo testified against his captors. He still lives in Immokalee and is happy that he's free. He now is an active member of the anti-slavery movement and works hard for the rights of his fellow workers. He still picks tomatoes.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. In an interview with trafficking survivor Geronimo Sanchez Bravo he stated that animals were better treated than he was while he was held captive. I chose to photograph animals who reminded me of this type of captivity that Geronimo endured. These ponies seemed to retain some of their dignity despite their captivity. I hope I'll never know the feeling being held captive against my will. For more than a year Geronimo Sanchez Bravo was forced to work and live as a slave in downtown Immokalee for about a year. During that time he was forced to live in a large truck in the front yard of a normal looking house and pick tomatoes for his captors. . Eventually, several workers made a hole in the top of the truck and were able to escape and get help. They went directly to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who helped Geronimo and the others to escape. Geronimo testified against his captors. He still lives in Immokalee and is happy that he's free. He now is an active member of the anti-slavery movement and works hard for the rights of his fellow workers. He still picks tomatoes. In December 2008, employers Cesar and Geovanni Navarrete were sentenced to 12 years each in federal prison on charges of conspiracy, holding workers in involuntary servitude, and peonage. They had employed dozens of tomato pickers in Florida and South Carolina. As stated in the DOJ press release on their sentencing, "[the employers] pleaed guilty to beating, threatening, restraining, and locking workers in trucks to force them to work as agricultural laborers... [They] were accused of paying the workers minimal wages and driving the workers into debt, while simultaneously threatening physical harm if the workers left their employment before their debts had been repaid to the Navarrete family." Workers first reported the abuse to Collier County police, and additional workers sought help from the CIW. The CIW collaborated with the DOJ an
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Amanda Stephen was brought to the United States by her mother. She was forced to be a domestic worker and perform sexual favors by the man who was giving her shelter. She has recently applied for asylum and has come out as a person who was trafficked. She is currently living in a homeless shelter in the Washington DC area and is being helped by Fair Girls.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. For more than a year, Geronimo Sanchez Bravo was forced to work and live as a slave in downtown Immokalee. He and a dozen other workers were at times locked into the back of large truck in the front yard of a normal looking house and forced to pick tomatoes for their captors. Eventually, one worker made a hole in the top of the truck and was able to escape and get help. They went directly to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who helped Geronimo and the others to escape. Geronimo participated in the federal case against his captors. He still lives in Immokalee and is happy that he's free. He now is an active member of the anti-slavery movement and works hard for the rights of his fellow workers. He still picks tomatoes.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photographs from slave labor camp near Immokalee, Florida where Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez, among others, forced mostly undocumented Central American and Mexican migrants to become modern day slaves. The labor camp, although decaying still stands where it stood in 1997, when the two men were prosecuted. In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomez had a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and members from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Lucia Reyes worked in the Tomato fields for years in Immokalee, Florida. Like far too many women in the agricultural industry, Lucia suffered constant humiliation, abuse, and sexual violence at the hands of her boss. What makes Lucia’s story different is that she decided to speak out against these abuses. With the help of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers she was able to bring a landmark case against the company where she was working. Although it took a lot of courage to speak up Lucia feels happy that this and her involvement in educating other workers through the Fair Food Program has helped other women avoid having to deal with intense sexual harassment in the fields. She has since moved on to another type of work.Lucia Reyes worked in the Tomato fields for years in Immokalee, Florida. During a period of approximately five years she was sexually harassed and made to perform sexual acts for the driver under threat of losing her job and physical threat to her life. With the help of the Coalition for Immokalee Workers she was able to bring a case against the company. The perpetrators were brought to justice in a landmark case. Although it took a lot of courage to speak up Lucia feels happy that this has helped other women avoid having to deal with intense sexual harassment and forced sex in the fields where she worked. She has since moved on to another type of work.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Thousands of people are trafficked on America's immense and complicated system of highways and roads throughout the United States each year.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Photograph of a tree that's been cut down in Immokalee, Florida. I made photographs of anything that I found interesting or peculiar that seemed related to the feeling of modern day slavery. A pine tree being strangled by another tree reminded me of the relationship of enslaver and slave.
Vultures are everywhere in the town of Immokalee, Florida.
Street scene in the Southern Suburbs of Dallas near to a victim's new home.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. A dead turkey vulture killed while foraging for food in Immokalee, Florida.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Abandoned labor camp in Immokalee, Florida. Immokalee has had numerous cases of confirmed modern day slavery in the past two decades. The Coalition for Immokalee workers has successfully helped to investigate and bring to justice many high profile traffickers.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. View of a condemned labor camp in Immokalee, Floridal.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Adela Lopez' family’s they paid in excess of 140,000 Guatemalan Quetzales or about $20,000 in an effort to find a better life for her family. As is often the case the victims are seduced by someone familiar to them who they trust.In a nightmarish scenario Adela and her family found themselves captives once inside the United States. Her daughter was referred to as ‘Carne Fresca’ or Fresh Meat and for more than a year they endured undue hardship at the hands of her traffickers. All three were forced to perform domestic labor and her daughter was repeatedly raped and eventually had a son by her rapist/trafficker.They were rescued by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and now live in the Dallas area.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Elis grew up between Chicago and New York. She attended high school in the Chicago area and eventually moved to Dallas. It was there that she started dating a the brother of her sister's boyfriend. In great detail she related the story of how she became a prostitute working for her boyfriend. After several years working for her boyfriend she was arrested and the police asked to cooperate in the case against him. She testified against her former trafficker/boyfriend and helped to put him in prison.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Nilda came to the United States when a friend of her employer in Guatemala City offered he a job working as a domestic worker. Her employers had always treated her well and as the oldest in her family she jumped at the opportunity to travel to the United States and make money to help her younger siblings and parents survive. Once in the United States she entered a hellish situation of working about 16 hours a day for almost no pay. Her employers, who were Honduran, sent her mother $100 per month, but withheld her passport and put her under strict psychological control. She was not allowed to talk to anyone outside of the house and was often threatened with physical violence. Her phone calls were monitored and her boss listened to every phone call back home to her mother. She worked under these conditions for two and a half years before she was rescued by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. She now live in the Dallas area and is fighting a deportation order from the United States government.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. Elis grew up between Chicago and New York. She attended high school in the Chicago area and eventually moved to Dallas. It was there that she started dating a the brother of her sister's boyfriend. In great detail she related the story of how she became a prostitute working for her boyfriend. After several years working for her boyfriend she was arrested and the police asked to cooperate in the case against him. She testified against her former trafficker/boyfriend and helped to put him in prison. Elis said she mainly stayed at nice hotels in order to cater to an upscale client. The consumers of victims of forced labor cut across class, race and economic level.
Photographs of victims of forced labor in the United States. SandraLopez' family’s paid in excess of 140,000 Guatemalan Quetzales or about $20,000 in an effort to find a better life for her family. As is often the case the victims are seduced by someone familiar to them who they trust.In a nightmarish scenario Sandra, her mother Adela and their family found themselves captives once inside the United States. Sandra was seen as ‘Carne Fresca’ or Fresh Meat by her captors and for more than a year they endured undue hardship at the hands of her traffickers. All three were forced to perform domestic labor and Sandra was repeatedly raped and eventually had a son by her rapist/trafficker.They were rescued by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and now live in the Dallas area.