Labor trafficking surfaces in Sioux Falls area with theme of promising a better life

A rare case including elements of labor trafficking is one of a growing number in recent years, according to those who serve victims and survivors.

At least three people connected to Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet were indicted April 8 on charges of harboring illegal workers.

The case alleges that they or others would buy residences for illegal workers to live in in return for rent payment, would provide transportation to and from the restaurant and would subtract money for rent, transportation and food from their pay. Employees were paid in cash, the indictment said.

The restaurant closed April 8, but a sign indicates that the plan is to reopen and hiring is underway.

Those named as defendants in the indictment include Hui Weng, who is identified as an owner; Min Lin, a manager; and Jin Ju Pan, who paid employees and owned rental properties where they lived.

It happened between 2014 and August 2023 and on dates before that, according to the complaint. The conspirators “told employees if they wished to terminate their employment at the restaurant, they had to leave these residences,” it said. “Some of the conspirators advised employees that immigration authorities would be called if the employees did not work hard or do what they were told.”

Employees also were charged for food regardless if they ate at the restaurant, the indictment said.

Labor trafficking is a form of human trafficking that exists when physical force, threats, lies or other forms of coercion or pressure are used to make someone work or provide services against his or her will.

“Labor trafficking can be very hard to identify, especially if we’re not diving deep into each scenario and asking the right questions,” said Rachel Shartz, Call to Freedom’s director of grants management.

“Under federal trafficking laws, ‘harboring’ has a broader legal meaning. It includes providing shelter or keeping someone in a place as part of a plan to exploit them — such as forcing them to work. So if someone is being held in a house or business and made to work through threats, physical abuse and/or lies, that harboring is part of labor trafficking.”

In the Sioux Falls area, the majority of labor trafficking victims and survivors served by Call to Freedom “have been people with limited English proficiency and of Hispanic origin,” she said.

In 2024, the organization served 29 people who had experienced labor trafficking.

“Although our organizational data shows a big increase in labor trafficking in recent years, it’s likely due to both more trafficking happening and better awareness and education helping us spot and report it,” Shartz said.

“The vulnerabilities tied to a person’s country of origin or ethnicity can unfortunately be manipulated by traffickers, who may use these factors to control or coerce people.”

She gives the example of “Maria,” who is recruited from another country to work in the U.S. as a housekeeper.

“The job recruiter promises her good pay, a place to live and legal work papers. But when she arrives, her passport is taken away; she’s forced to work 16-hour days, seven days a week, without pay; she’s told that if she tries to leave or report the abuse, she’ll be arrested or deported; and the employer threatens to harm her family back home if she doesn’t stay,” Shartz said. “Maria is a victim of labor trafficking — her labor is being exploited through force, fraud and coercion.”

Many of these cases involve people who have been promised a better life in the U.S., said Becky Rasmussen, Call to Freedom’s CEO.

The organization dealt with one case in which “a man’s mom paid a sponsor (for him) to come to the U.S. to work legally, and this organization did not have the best intentions for this man and continued to take money from the mother and then exploiting her son here,” Rasmussen said.

“He ended up running from North Cliff Avenue barefoot to the police station saying: ‘This isn’t right. This is what’s happening.’”

In cases like this, Call to Freedom’s bilingual case manager worked with Spanish-speaking law enforcement to serve the victim.

“We’ve seen increases in labor trafficking referrals, especially in men, and we have quite a few families coming through in scenarios with the intent of a better job and promising of it being a legal process,” Rasmussen said. “We see scenarios where people have been brought over and got here and were introduced to the trafficking sector through restaurants, the tourism piece and construction. That’s where we’re seen the labor trafficking the most.”

Call to Freedom has aimed to foster conversations and increase awareness of labor trafficking, Shartz added.

“And while the increase in cases coming to light is gut-wrenching, it’s reassuring to see that those who need help are finding it at Call to Freedom,” she said.

There is no “exhaustive list of signs” that someone might be a victim of labor trafficking as “each case is unique because each person is unique,” Shartz added.

However, some general warning signs of labor trafficking include the following:

• The person can’t leave his or her job or is being watched closely.
• They’re afraid to talk or seem nervous around their employer.
• They don’t have control of their own ID or documents like a passport.
• They’re unpaid or paid very little, despite long hours.
• They live and work in the same place, and it’s not by choice.
• They’ve been threatened with harm, deportation or legal trouble.
• They owe a large, unclear debt to the employer or recruiter.
• They aren’t allowed to speak for themselves or interact freely with others.

How can individuals find help?

If you or someone you know believes you’ve been impacted by human trafficking — labor and/or sex trafficking — or commercial sexual exploitation, Call to Freedom provides free, comprehensive services that can help you find healing and hope. Call or text the organization’s intake line at 605-759-3565.

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet arrests could lead to deportations

The post Labor trafficking surfaces in Sioux Falls area with theme of promising a better life appeared first on SiouxFalls.Business.