June 18, 2008
by Yuan Li
On June 11, the Indian Workers’ Congress ended its 4-week hunger strike against government-sponsored human trafficking, otherwise known as the temporary guest worker program. In the post-Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita reconstruction period, companies in the Gulf Coast used the temporary guest worker program to bring in foreign laborers, such as Signal International, an oil rig repair and construction company. However, five hundred employees recruited from India and the United Arab Emirates in late 2006 and early 2007 were deceived by Signal (The New York Times). In exchange for a $20,000 fee, the recruiters of Signal promised work and permanent resident status in the U.S., neglecting to mention the H2B visas were only temporary, housing conditions were poor, and freedom was lacking (ABC News). In essence, the company took advantage of the workers who were unfamiliar with U.S. immigration laws and forced them into indentured servitude.
