Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings - by Sheldon X Zhang (Hardcover)

About the Book

Coming to America to make a better life has long been a dream of many from around the world, even if it means being smuggled into the country to gain entry. This book examines how human smuggling and trafficking activities to the United States are carried out and explores the legal and policy challenges of dealing with these problems. Zhang covers the scope and patterns of global human trafficking and smuggling activities; the strategies and methods employed by various groups to bring individuals into the United States; major smuggling routes and venues; the involvement of organized criminal organizations in transnational human smuggling activities; and the challenges confronting the U.S. government in combating these activities.

Book Synopsis

Coming to America to make a better life has long been a dream of many from around the world, even if it means being smuggled into the country to gain entry. This book examines how human smuggling and trafficking activities to the United States are carried out and explores the legal and policy challenges of dealing with these problems. Zhang covers the scope and patterns of global human trafficking and smuggling activities; the strategies and methods employed by various groups to bring individuals into the United States; major smuggling routes and venues; the involvement of organized criminal organizations in transnational human smuggling activities; and the challenges confronting the U.S. government in combating these activities.

Review Quotes

"This book is devoted to the exploration of those mechanisms of transnational mobility--smuggling and trafficking--deemed illegal in countries of destination, particularly the US. A law enforcement perspective strongly influences the author's approach. In his words, although immigrants themselves should form part of the discussion, the study focuses on smuggling and trafficking activities, their organization and profiles. If one's chief interest lies in the workings of the smuggling trade and the measures designed to counteract such activities, the book will prove especially useful and informative. It is well organized, clearly written, and thoroughly documented....Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." --Choice

"Zhang, a professor of sociology at San Diego State University, meticulously reviews the available information in the field--includng academic studies, policy reports, and news articles. He showcases how addressing human smuggling in the United States suffers from a lack of good data, and a hodgepodge of political kneejerk responses....This type of compilation of a portrain of illegal entries in the United States is important, and should be taken further." --Immigration Law Today

About the Author

Sheldon X. Zhang is Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University. He is the co-author of Criminology: A Global Perspective. His research revolves around two main themes--transnational organized crime and community-based corrections. His articles have appeared in journals such as Criminology, British Journal of Criminology, Criminology and Social Policy, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, and Crime and Delinquency. He has given numerous conference presentations and keynote speeches to academic as well as law enforcement audiences.