Overseas Shrimp Plant Workers Wrestle With Human Trafficking Law

The plight of Cambodians who say a Thai factory forced them to process US-bound frozen shrimp is drawing attention to workers’ ability to hold companies liable for attempts to benefit from human trafficking.

Federal prosecutions for forced labor are extremely rare, making victims’ ability to pursue civil suits against those who benefit from trafficking—or attempt to benefit—essential, attorneys told Bloomberg Law. Plaintiffs filed a record high number of Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act civil cases in 2024, including more than 65 alleging forced labor, according to Human Trafficking Legal Center data.

The Cambodian workers in June returned to the ...