Charlotte, North Carolina, has emerged as a human trafficking hotspot, with data showing 106 minors were trafficked in the city last year, nearly double the 45 to 60 children identified annually between 2018 and 2022. About half of the victims were aged 15 or younger, according to the Charlotte Metro Human Trafficking Task Force.
Statewide, the National Human Trafficking Hotline recorded 301 cases in North Carolina in 2024, involving 580 victims. The vast majority were sex trafficking cases, but the proportion of forced labour victims has risen steadily. Overall, last year saw more child victims than any year in the past decade.
Experts attribute Charlotte's appeal to traffickers to its logistical advantages. The city sits at a key junction of major highways, offering multiple routes to move victims. 'A lot of these traffickers are running victims and may start in South Florida. From South Florida, they go to Atlanta, and from Atlanta, they pass through Charlotte,' said private investigator Toby Braun.
North Carolina's thriving agricultural industry and other sectors provide opportunities for forced labour. Most labour-trafficking victims worked as domestic workers, followed by agriculture, construction, and food service. US Attorney Dena King noted that prosecutions for human trafficking in Charlotte have risen 50 per cent in the past decade, but added: 'These are incredibly difficult cases to prosecute.'
Charlotte has also become the focus of an immigration enforcement surge, with ICE and DHS agents raiding homes and businesses, sparking protests from local residents.
