In the News

LOS ANGELES -- As COVID-19 cases surge, another hidden issue is taking its toll on our country's most vulnerable. Human trafficking cases have risen 185% compared to this time last year, one human rights organization says. Human trafficking "involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type...

Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES The City of West Hollywood recognizes National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January. Advocates, organizations, and individuals will unite this month to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. The lanterns on Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Robertson Boulevard and...

Cast is outraged by the violent attempt to interrupt democracy at our nation’s Capitol on Wednesday, and calls on those responsible to be held accountable. It was nothing short of an insurrection. White nationalists and QAnon conspiracists forced their way into the building and threatened our democracy and the lives...

Lyresh McGee | Human Trafficking Survivor Months ago, I woke up to the news of yet another innocent Black man who lost his life to racism. The nightmare didn’t end as the news continued to reveal the deaths of more innocent Black people than I could imagine. The world was...

The county ordinance -- which is expected to cover both sex and labor trafficking -- is expected to allow for routine inspections of businesses where trafficking is suspected and fines and penalties for those who fail to post the hotline notice. By City News Service • Published September 15, 2020 • Updated on September 16, 2020 at 1:27...

Two Filipino caregivers who were trafficked share their stories and urge all Filipinos to support anti-trafficking legislation Like thousands of Filipinos, Angela Guanzon was attracted to the promise of America. So when she got the opportunity to find gainful employment through a recruiter, she didn’t ask any questions. It’s notoriously...

Human trafficking survivors need your help. California is considered one of the largest epicenters of human trafficking in the United States and every day, vulnerable women, children, and men are forced into servitude. Governor Newsom and the Legislature have the opportunity to address this epidemic and provide critical supportive services to...

Human trafficking has many faces. Imagine a teenage girl pressured into prostitution by her boyfriend to pay the rent; a foreign national tricked into domestic servitude with promises of a better life; a fisherman trapped at sea working for wages that never materialize. These are just a few accounts of...

My name is Jayson. While I was working in the construction in the Philippines, my uncle received a phone call from a woman and asking for a guy that can work for her. My uncle recommended me and gave the phone to me.  She seems very nice and professional towards...

Angela is a survivor of labor trafficking in an elder care facility in California. She came in hopes of finding decent work and found herself in modern slavery. This is her story.   I came to the United States with the promise of a good job. In the Philippines, going to the...

The connection between race and human trafficking The systemic racism occurring in our country and around the world has resurfaced a conversation about racial inequality that is long overdue. As a human rights organization serving Los Angeles, understanding the connection between human trafficking and racial injustice is critical to Cast’s...

Photo illustration of a child victim of human trafficking. (Photo: 271 EAK MOTO) BY STEPHANIE RICHARD POSTED 06.08.2020 As many Californians struggle with the effects of COVID-19, what this pandemic means for human trafficking victims is their abusers have yet another way to coerce and exploit. Before COVID-19, victims already faced extreme barriers to...

“All our silences in the face of racist assault are acts of complicity.” - bell hooks We are outraged by the murder of another Black person by law enforcement and we mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all of our brothers and sisters that have...

My name is Raymundo. I was recruited from Mexico to work on a farm in California. I was promised that my work would be legal and that I would be paid $11.10 an hour for at least forty hours of work per week. I was happy to start working and...

(LOS ANGELES, CA) – Today, the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) adopted final regulations to implement AB 629 (Smith/Gonzalez), which went into effect January 1, 2020, and provides human trafficking survivors the ability to recover lost income benefits like other crime victims in the state. Due to the leadership of...

Cast sat down with Legal Services Director, Nagwa Ibrahim, to answer the hard questions about human trafficking and the coronavirus. How is your team responding to the pandemic and the current climate? Since human trafficking does not stop because of a pandemic, our team continues to operate a 24-hour emergency...

Cast's Emergency Response Program Manager, Leigh LaChapelle, pens an open letter to our community partners in change and human trafficking victims. Dear Community Partner, We at Cast want to update our community about our services and the steps we have taken to protect our clients and staff during COVID-19. Cast...

(LOS ANGELES, CA) – Today, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) released the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s coronavirus-related announcement: “We applaud Governor Newsom for his commitment to at-risk youth, particularly foster children, during the pandemic. However, this narrowly focused investment will not adequately protect all...

We regret to inform you that we are postponing our annual, “From Slavery to Freedom” gala  - our most important fundraising event of the year that raises funds to ensure the safety and well-being of survivors of human trafficking.  We are now confronting a $750K shortfall while facing the increasing...

If the coronavirus pandemic has revealed anything, it is the stark inequalities vulnerable people endure. Faced with barriers to accessing care that will protect them and their families, human trafficking survivors are looking to Cast as their only resource. As a first responder, Cast is working around the clock to...