Many immigrants come to the United States looking for a new life. There are some circumstances where groups will offer to smuggle immigrants into the United States, claiming that they can give the individuals the paperwork that they need to appear legal. This devious scheme can often end in disaster. This was evidenced in New York City this past week, when authorities arrested 13 individuals who were running a covert sex slave operation. The criminals tricked women into leaving Mexico, claiming that they would help them to get them over the border, give them necessary paperwork, and employ them once they came to the United States.

The women volunteered to take the nondescript jobs in the United States. What they didn't know was that there were no jobs awaiting them, just a lifetime of slavery in brothels in New York. The pimps who brought the women across the border then put them up in squalid conditions and forced them to serve as many as 30 customers a day. The pimps ran four brothels in New York and the women were moved among the four locations in order to keep customers' selections "fresh."

The brothels were set up in apartment buildings which were rarely cleaned. They were located in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, and Queens, New York City. The police learned that the pimps had supplied prostitutes with condoms and forced them to take birth control if there was any possibility that they could get pregnant. The women were abused and unhealthy.

These immigrants were not paid for their services. The money went directly to the pimps, who were charging $30 for 15 minutes with one of the women. The ladies believed that they had to comply with the pimps' requests or they may lose their own lives. As well, the women say that the pimps threatened to harm their families back in Mexico if they were not submissive. Thankfully, the New York Police Department was able to detect this horrific prostitution ring and sent 13 pimps into captivity. Police also made arrests in Delaware and Maryland.

Prostitution rings, humans trafficking, and other slavery situations are common among immigrants. There are many cases where pimps or human traffickers will lure Hispanics across the border, promising that they can set them up with a career in America. Many immigrants decide to take up the seemingly innocent offers and will board caravans into the United States. Once they arrive, their lives are terrible, as the men and women are forced to do excessive labor without pay or serve in prostitution rings like the ones that were discovered in New York earlier this week.

Human trafficking is extremely illegal, and those that use this deceitful tactic to lure immigrants into America can be severely punished. As an immigrant, it is essential to watch out for these schemes and avoid any underground smuggling operations. The ICE is dedicated to eliminating human smuggling through investigations and careful monitoring of the borders. This government agency has been able to target many large-scale smuggling organizations in the past, and rescue individuals from a life of extortion, abuse, violence, or slavery.

The ICE is also working to increase the penalties against organized smugglers and provide additional criminal offenses to address spotters who assist criminal smugglers. Instead of partnering with a dangerous smuggling group in hopes of arriving in the United States, you need to contact a reliable immigration lawyer to help you. If you are having trouble securing the documents that you need to enter the United States legally, hire a local immigration attorney today for assistance!