The most harrowing story I ever heard was told to me by a woman who found herself stranded, without documentation, with no status in the U.S. To return to her own country would cost her life.

She had not been brought here through force, fraud or coercion. She was never a prostitute. She was a domestic worker, hoping to earn some money and return home.

A missed deadline made her illegal, unforeseen circumstances piled up–leaving her caught between two countries, the very definition of dilemma.

I don’t know if she is still alive. Although she was not ‘trafficked’ I often think of the hopelessness of her situation when I think of people who may be trapped without rights or justice.

The Coalition Against Human Trafficking was formed to address this problem. Trafficking for prostitution was a primary, but not the only concern. People are trapped in factories, on farms, and in houses where they work as unpaid servants.

From the beginning, there was political pressure to use the anti-trafficking cause to pass a law to criminalize indoor prostitution. To get this nuisance out of our city–push it out somewhere on the fringe where it would be less embarrassing to the Creative Capitol.

At this time, it seems that a bill to ‘close the loophole’ has a better chance of passing than one against trafficking.

Happy Endings was on the scene this week at the State House and has some excellent reporting here. A link to a review of the documentary, Happy Endings, is here. ProJo.com has the latest news coverage, and an interactive survey, currently running about 40% pro and 60% against the bill. The Journal series, ‘Eye of the Storm’ has background information and links to the bills under consideration–they are actually short and you don’t have to be a lawyer to understand them. Rep. Giannini and Sen. Perry, who have often disagreed, are both sponsoring bills intended to protect minors. Good bills, but I wonder why current laws against corrupting minors are not enforced to the max.

Two years ago I had a confrontation with Rep. Joanne Giannini in the hall of the State House. She looked at me and said, “We have to do something!”

She’s right. Prostitution is not a good business for Rhode Island. The residents of Fox Point were right to organize to prevent a ‘spa’ from renting a storefront across the street from an elementary school. Working outside the law, without legal rights or claims, is a dangerous place to be.

And there are some things that no one should have to sell.

But if the law passes, and the problem seems to go away, what will happen to the Coalition? Who will care to sort out the ‘trafficked’ person from the lawbreaker? What if the coercion is not obvious, even to the victim who sees no other way. Who will prosecute traffickers if they prey on immigrants who fear the police? Who will advocate for these people in our angry, anti-immigrant political climate?

The best strategy to combat exploitation is to provide a way out, to recruit people away from abusive situations, and to prosecute crimes such as extortion, assault, rape, stealing and blackmail, which are already felonies, and are the real social evil.

We already have a law on the books which makes ‘pandering’ a felony. This law was used to justify police raids on suspected brothels this April, as reported in the Providence Journal, here.