Human trafficking becomes state legislative issue

An American woman coerced into the sex trade. An immigrant housekeeper compelled to work for less than minimum wage. A salon employee forced to work off the price of passage to the U.S. All are considered examples of human trafficking.

New Jersey officials on Friday marked “Human Trafficking Awareness Day” with a rally and other events at the Statehouse amid efforts on several fronts to combat the problem.

State Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, who led one of the programs in Trenton, created a new unit this summer to focus on combatting human trafficking, a crime believed to be widely unreport...