AUSTIN, Texas — Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott and State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) joined human trafficking survivor and advocate Rhonda Kuykendall on Tuesday to talk about the role commercial airports can play in preventing human trafficking.
Kuykendall said every year, traffickers use air travel to transport victims undetected. But she said airport staff and travelers can become the first line of defense against trafficking if they’re equipped with the right knowledge.
Kuykendall has personal experience with human trafficking and shared some of her story during Tuesday’s press conference, hosted by the Texas Commercial Airport Association.
“Imagine a little girl, 10 years old, walking through a busy airport. She had just been sexually assaulted and photographed. And I can tell you, no one in the airport saw her. No one in the child welfare system saw her. And no one in the schools saw her,” she said. “That little girl was me. I was trafficked by a four-time convicted sex trafficker.”
Kuykendall said she met the man at her father’s apartment complex when he asked her if she wanted to be a model.
“I can still remember thinking how glamorous it was going to be. And after a very short conversation with my parents, I was taken back and forth to Houston, and eventually, I was flown,” she said. “I was taking to Houston [Bush] Intercontinental Airport, and I was flown out to Lubbock, Texas. I would be flown out on Fridays, returned on Sundays and I would be sitting in my seat in elementary school on Monday morning.”
Now, Kuykendall is advocating for all airport personnel and travelers to notice the signs of trafficking and learn how to respond to prevent what can be a lifetime of trauma for victims. She said signs can include passengers who seem to be controlled by another person, who may look afraid or have no idea where they came from or where they’re going.
Kuykendall said many times, it may just be a gut feeling that something doesn’t seem right. Knowing how to respond – through notifying authorities and following airport protocols – is crucial, as is acting “decisively and with compassion.”
“Be the eyes and the ears of the skies. Whether you work in an airport or you are passing through, your vigilance could save a life,” Kuykendall said. “Together, we can transform airports from transit points for traffickers into safe havens for victims.”