By Regine Beauboeuf & Tonya Adair
Human trafficking is often misunderstood. It is frequently portrayed as a crime that happens “somewhere else,” to “someone else,” under dramatic circumstances. In reality, human trafficking is far more subtle and much closer to home than many people realize.
Trafficking impacts women, men, girls, and boys across all communities. It does not always involve physical restraint or dramatic escapes. More often, it involves manipulation, coercion, false promises, and the exploitation of vulnerability. Understanding these realities is one of the most effective ways communities can reduce vulnerability and increase awareness.
As a vital international crossing between the United States and Canada, the Detroit Windsor Tunnel plays an important role in facilitating the daily movement of people, commerce, and culture. With that role comes an opportunity to support awareness and education not through fear, but through facts.
Human trafficking can take many forms, including labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Individuals impacted may include students, runaways, people experiencing economic hardship, individuals facing housing insecurity, or those seeking opportunity or stability. Traffickers often exploit trust rather than resorting to force, using manipulation to create dependence or control.
It is also important to challenge common misconceptions. Human trafficking does not affect only women and girls. Men and boys are trafficked as well, particularly for forced labor, and their experiences are often overlooked in public conversations.
Awareness begins with understanding common indicators that advocates and experts often reference. These may include individuals who appear fearful or anxious, those who are unable to speak for themselves, or situations where someone else insists on answering questions on another’s behalf. Other indicators can include unexplained injuries, exhaustion, lack of access to personal identification, sudden behavioral changes, or promises of work or travel that seem vague or unrealistic. While these signs do not confirm trafficking on their own, they can signal that someone may need support.
Personal safety is strengthened when individuals and families stay informed. Open conversations about online safety, healthy relationships, and recognizing manipulation can be especially important for young people. Community members can trust their instincts and seek guidance from appropriate local resources when concerns arise.
Addressing human trafficking also requires compassion. Individuals who experience exploitation are not to blame. Many do not identify themselves as victims, particularly when traffickers present themselves as friends, romantic partners, or employers. An informed and supportive community creates pathways to assistance and recovery. Although the Tunnel’s role in this effort is focused on awareness and education rather than enforcement, we train our staff to identify suspicious behaviors and work with community organizations like Alternatives For Girls (AFG) that address the needs of impacted individuals.
Alternatives For Girls is a vital Detroit-area nonprofit supporting girls and young women who are at risk of, or have experienced, human trafficking, homelessness, violence, and exploitation. Michigan consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of confirmed human trafficking cases in the country, making this issue especially urgent in our region.
Through trauma-informed outreach and specialized human trafficking services, AFG works in the community and in partnership with the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, as a founding member of the Detroit Human Trafficking Task Force, and with other local organizations to provide crisis intervention, survivor advocacy, counseling, and pathways to safe housing, education, and employment. By meeting survivors where they are and addressing both immediate safety and long-term stability, AFG helps young people exit exploitation and begin rebuilding their lives with dignity and hope.
Human trafficking thrives in silence. Thoughtful, factual awareness helps ensure that our communities remain informed, connected, and attentive to the well-being of those around us.
Regine Beauboeuf is President and CEO of the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and Tonya Adair is President and CEO of Alternatives For Girls
