Letter from California: Sex trafficking part of Obama's border crisis

(Courtesy of ICE)

Obama’s recent border crisis is beginning to bring to the forefront another problem for this Administration and the people of California, that promises to be an even bigger issue than the question of why these unaccompanied alien minor children and their families were encouraged to come to the U.S. in the first place under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

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The issue that poses a threat to this Administration’s already tarnished reputation, is the rising concern that the minor children are being targeted by nefarious individuals for potential sexual abuse and possible sex trafficking.

Recently in San Francisco, Jeffrey Bugai, 35, was arrested after allegedly posing as a police officer and forcing illegal immigrant children to perform sexual acts under threat of being deported.

The San Francisco Police Department said in a press release that, “Bugai targeted recently arriving Central American immigrants with limited English speaking ability.” “Bugai would mislead his victims to believe he was a police officer and bring his victims to his home where he would administer intoxicants, coerce them, and/or force them into committing sexual acts.”

The Obama Administration has set the stage for extensive maltreatment to occur and the possibilities for those seeking to harm these children are endless.

Sex trafficking is a billion dollar industry. Many feel that it is more of an international issue rather than an issue that plagues the U.S.  However, the number of individuals forced into the sex trafficking industry right here in the U.S. is staggering.

According to the State of California, Department of Justice, Attorney General Website, victims of human and sex trafficking vary in terms of age, nationality, socioeconomic status, and education but they all have one thing in common: their vulnerability. Victims are often separated from their country of origin, language and culture. Victims from other countries, like those from Central America, who are involved in the current border crisis, often fail to report abuses for fear of deportation, arrest or other serious consequences. Many from a background of poverty and sexual or physical abuse are at the greatest risk of becoming victims of trafficking.

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In current statistics regarding American children who are kidnapped into sex trafficking, it is projected that each year more than 200,000 are lured into becoming sex slaves. The average age is between 12-14 years.  They are often enslaved into becoming prostitutes by false promises and/or by force.

Now another category of at-risk children have been placed at the doorstep of sex and human traffickers looking to cash in on the free-flowing stream of those that are coming to America looking for a better life. Those that are isolated, without the support of their families, and those who are without proper economic means to support themselves are prime targets.

While I am in support of securing the border and returning those that have come here illegally and without a legitimate and limited reason to stay in this country, I am vehemently opposed to child abuse and preying upon the innocents who have been led astray by this Administration.

The recent incident in San Francisco may be the tip of the iceberg in a myriad of unreported crimes occurring against children on a daily basis.

We as Americans must demand from our government that they protect these minor children while they are in this country and before deportation back to their country of origin.

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If we turn our backs on these children because they are here illegally, then in my opinion, we have become like those that we criticize for turning a blind eye to injustices against humanity.

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