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Supervisors approve plan to prevent human trafficking after disasters
Summary
The board unanimously directed county departments to develop worker‑protections, public‑awareness and contractor safeguards to reduce human trafficking and labor exploitation risks during wildfire recovery and other disasters.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion directing county departments to develop a coordinated strategy to prevent human trafficking and labor exploitation following natural disasters.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell authored the motion after citing research and post‑disaster examples showing increases in trafficking and labor exploitation in the wake of major disasters. The motion asks the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), the Department of Public Health’s Office of Worker Safety and Health, the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and other county partners to prepare a plan that strengthens worker protections during recovery and rebuild work, enhances community awareness and requires anti‑trafficking assurances from county contractors.
Mitchell emphasized a public‑health and worker‑protection approach that reaches people who may be reluctant to contact government directly, including undocumented workers, people fleeing domestic violence, young people and people experiencing homelessness. She asked DCBA to expand “Know Your Rights” and outreach through community‑based organizations and recommended county procurement and contract language that would prohibit forced labor and require monitoring of subcontracting chains during recovery work.
Speakers from nonprofit legal and advocacy groups supported the motion during public comment, detailing cases recorded after prior disasters in which workers were recruited for cleanup and construction work, exposed to unsafe conditions, and left unpaid. Representatives of anti‑trafficking initiatives urged the county to prioritize prevention, worker education, contractor accountability and cross‑agency coordination.
The motion passed unanimously. County staff were directed to return with a plan and recommended contract guidance to reduce trafficking risk during recovery activities.
Officials said the work would include awareness campaigns, worker outreach, stronger guidelines for contractors doing disaster recovery work, and pipelines to quality, certified jobs that reduce the economic vulnerability that traffickers exploit. The board’s vote was 5–0.
