Who is LIAT?
Long Island Against Trafficking seeks to educate communities, work with legislators, and raise money to help victims of human trafficking live fully restored lives.
What is LIAT?
Long Island Against Trafficking was founded when a group of individuals were awakened to the realities of human sex trafficking while attending a lecture. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" resonated in our hearts and minds. We were compelled to join in the fight for those sex trafficked on Long Island and abroad.
Long Island Against Trafficking was established to raise funds for those victimized and raise public awareness of this modern-day form of slavery. We accomplish this by speaking at public and private events as well as lobbying at the local, state, and federal levels. We plan and host fundraisers to aid in financially supporting victims. We also partner with other human rights organizations on a local, national and international level to create a powerful collective voice.
Why is LIAT?
Because, even now, It Happens Here.
According to the United Nations, human trafficking generates $32 billion annually, of which $9.5 billion is generated annually in the United States. 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The average age of entry into prostitution for a child in the United States is 12 years old. A pimp can make $200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls according to the U.S. Justice Department and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Health and Human Services says fewer than 100 beds are available in the United States for underage victims.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Long Island and New York City are among the top 20 human trafficking jurisdictions in the country. Each tear drop on the map above is a media report of one or more persons, one or more of our neighbors, who has been a victim of trafficking this decade.