On April 14, 2014, more than 200 Nigerian girls were abducted from their boarding school in the middle of the night by the Islamic group known as Boko Haram. The girls were told that they were fine and that no harm would come to them, but in reality these girls are in greater danger than they ever imagined. Boko Haram militants have released a statement that they will effectively "sell" the girls they have kidnapped. Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said: "I have kidnapped your girls, I will sell them in the market, by Allah, Allah has ordered me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions." As a human race and as Americans, it is important that these threats are taken seriously because they actually have the potential to become reality. An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. In various cases, trafficked persons are smuggled and transported on boats with false promises and deals. They must remain hidden to avoid the risk of being discovered by anyone. By the time they realize that they are not victims of smuggling, but have unknowingly entered a human trafficking ring, it is too late. I'm in a foreign country. Some do not know the language and customs, many fear asking for help due to shady dealings with the authorities in the past or know they will be reprimanded for entering illegally and sent back to places they have struggled to get out of, almost all are threatened, vulgarized and mistreated. These nameless faces are used for forced labor and sexual exploitation. In order to reduce human trafficking into the United States, Customs and Border Protection along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement can c...... middle of paper ..... .ng/>. “Human trafficking.” Human trafficking. National Center for Victims of Crime, n.d. Web. May 7, 2014. .Sex Trafficking in the United States | Polaris Project | Fight against human trafficking and modern slavery. Np, nd Web. May 9, 2014. “U.S. Department of State.” Fact Sheet: Distinctions Between Human Trafficking and Human Trafficking 2006. Np, nd Web. May 6, 2014. “Washington is first U.S. state to pass law strengthening oversight of escort sites.” HumanTrafficking.org | News and Updates: Washington is the first US state to pass a law strengthening oversight of escort sites. Academy for Educational Development, nd Web. May 2 2014. .