UC Irvine researchers have received a $20,000 grant to address the persistent issue of undercounting labor trafficking victims in Orange County. The grant was awarded to Angela Robinson, an assistant researcher with UCI’s Frontline Research to End Exploitation (FREE) Institute, and Iza Camarillo, research director for the university’s Labor Center.
The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, a philanthropic organization co-founded by Susan Samueli and Carey Clawson, provided the funding. The project aims to bridge a significant gap between global data on labor trafficking and what local systems currently identify.
Angela Robinson noted that global data from the International Labour Organization indicates approximately 77% of human trafficking victims worldwide have experienced labor trafficking. However, both nationally and locally, labor trafficking victims are identified far less frequently than sex trafficking victims. For example, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force Victim Report (2025) found that less than 12% of identified victims in Orange County had experienced labor trafficking.
Robinson stated that while prevalence data suggests labor trafficking is more common, victims are identified at alarmingly low rates. The researchers attribute this discrepancy not to labor trafficking being less prevalent, but to systemic failures. These include shortcomings in labor enforcement, immigration systems, and the frameworks used to identify trafficking, which allow exploitation to go undetected and unreported.
Iza Camarillo explained that labor trafficking is fundamentally a workers’ rights issue, yet it often goes unrecognized within the very systems designed to protect workers. The research aims to understand where these systems fall short and identify opportunities to strengthen protections for vulnerable workers. Robinson added that victims, who are often economically disadvantaged migrants fearful of law enforcement, frequently do not initially identify themselves as being victimized.
To begin addressing this gap, Robinson and Camarillo will conduct a landscape analysis, utilizing the expertise of UCI’s FREE Institute and Labor Center. This process will involve convening a series of focus groups and meetings with a diverse range of stakeholders. Participants will include labor organizations, law enforcement, service providers, labor trafficking survivors, researchers, and various government agencies.
The goal of these discussions is to identify alternative and underutilized data sources that could more accurately reflect the true scope of labor trafficking in Orange County. The project is designed to culminate in two key outputs: a policy brief outlining strategies for enhancing data collection and analysis, and a public symposium to share findings and foster momentum among stakeholder groups.
Crucial to the project are its organizational partners: the Orange County Employees Association (OCEA) and the Orange County Labor Federation (OCLF). OCEA, Orange County’s largest public sector labor union, represents nearly 20,000 members, including social workers, law enforcement personnel, and staff in the District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s offices. OCLF, the AFL-CIO's regional central labor council, represents more than 90 unions and nearly 300,000 workers across the county.
Camarillo emphasized that these partnerships are essential for connecting the research team with workers, labor organizations, and institutions involved in identifying and responding to labor exploitation. Understanding labor trafficking, Camarillo stated, requires examining the conditions that make workers vulnerable to exploitation and the barriers preventing them from seeking help. These relationships, Camarillo noted, will help bridge the gap between academic research and the realities faced by workers in Orange County.
The researchers express hope that their work will not only produce more accurate data but also ultimately lead to expanded support and services for labor trafficking victims who have remained largely out of sight. The FREE Institute is affiliated with the Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music & Social Change and the Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, both within the School of Social Ecology. The Labor Center, also housed within the School of Social Ecology, conducts research, offers educational opportunities, and collaborates with labor organizations and community groups on challenges affecting workers in Orange County.
