Remember that enslaved domestics are not just robbed of years of labor; they are often tortured, assaulted, starved, and raped. Once freed, they often have to rely on strangers and the help of a few charities dedicated to their aid. If they are lucky enough to be recognized as victims of human trafficking, they become eligible for certain supports like health care, psychiatric help, housing, and food. But the agencies that are tasked with delivering this help say that the low level of funds awarded means that they, and the victim of slavery, are forced to make the devil’s own choices: psychiatric help or housing; legal support or medical care. So while their employers have cheated them of their wages, our government tries to run their rehabilitation on the cheap.22 W H AT A R E W E G O I N G T O D O A B O U T T H I S ? Scattered across our country, hidden in lovely suburban homes, are house slaves. These enslaved domestic workers share a number of characteris- tics. They are almost universally female; they have virtually all come to America on the promise of fair and legal work; they have taken a chance on working away from home to better themselves and better support their families, but instead are isolated and alone, no longer control their own lives, and suffer degradation, assault, and slavery.
