Ohio Democratic lawmakers brought in a big crowd for their 11th annual all-day human trafficking summit at the Statehouse. They say the purpose is to keep people up-to-date on the latest trends of oppression.
Hundreds of survivors, advocates, and law enforcement heard about human trafficking not only for sex, but also for labor.
State Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) says a rising problem they're discussing is the trafficking of nurses from other countries like the Philippines.
"They're coerced, their visas are taken away, they sign contracts with a lot of promises thinking they're coming into the United States for opportunity and they're finding that they lost their opportunity because of the bad actors," she says.
Fedor says it's important to gather every year to raise awareness and learn about new issues cropping up around the state.
"We want to uproot this situation so it doesn't exist. We are shining light on the darkness through educating and advocating on this issue," she says.
