South Dakota

Hiding in plain sight: Labor trafficking in South Dakota

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

Hiding in plain sight: Labor trafficking in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – While there have been conversations in our area about concerns over sex trafficking, there is another type of human trafficking that is also a growing concern, and that is labor trafficking.

“It could be the person who’s your next-door neighbor. It could be someone you run into at the grocery store,” said Call to Freedom Bilingual Case Manager Brandon Lainez.

A victim of labor trafficking could be hiding in plain sight, on the farm, the construction site, or in a local restaurant.

“That server, for example, is only making tips,” said Naomi Project Director Jordan Bruxvoort.

Labor trafficking often begins with a recruiter preying on a vulnerable prospect in their home country.

“They are looking for people who don’t have a fallback,” Jordan said.

The promises fall flat once the victim is stateside, often on a guest worker visa. Jordan Bruxvoort of the Naomi project has heard the stories firsthand.

“Employer will change the terms of the contract, and then, when the worker speaks up, threaten to send that person back to their home country,” Jordan explained.

The same accounts are shared with case managers like Brandon Lainez at Call To Freedom.

“Through domestic servitude, whether that be through beatings, not getting paid, false promises, terrible housing, sometimes very horrible conditions,” Brandon said.

Imagine the pressure of entrapment while arriving in a new country.

“Having to make weekly payments under the threat that if they don’t make these weekly payments, their family in their home country will be killed,” Jordan said.

Labor trafficking does happen in South Dakota. A Sioux Falls restaurant cited earlier this year.

“In a federal labor trafficking conviction. It was the first federal labor trafficking conviction that we’re aware of in South Dakota in more than 15 years,” Jordan explained.

Those victimizing their employees take all they can.

“I want to point out that labor trafficking and sex trafficking sometimes can go hand in hand. Bad actors who traffic individuals will do it in all kinds of ways,” said Latesha Love-Grayer with the Government Accountability Office.

Bruxvoort has ideas for solutions.

“Go from a complaint-based reactive approach to a kind of culture shift prevention approach,” Jordan said.

Educating employees in targeted jobs can be empowering. Currently, guest worker visas only allow employees to work for the one job they applied for the visa. Immigration reform could provide a victim the leverage to change.

“It’s really up to us and to our elected representatives to take action, given the enormous amount of documentation about how much trafficking has occurred under the H-2A and H-2b guest worker visa program,” Jordan said.

In extreme labor trafficking situations, help is available now.

“Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, people who are the victim of a severe form of trafficking can move forward and apply for a special visa called the T trafficking visa,” Jordan explained.

If you see an employee being kept away from customers, working long hours, or living in housing controlled by their employer, organizations like the Naomi Project, Call to Freedom and the local office of the Department of Homeland Security can help.

“We’re really hoping that Sioux Falls becomes the model for eradicating human trafficking from the formal economy,” Jordan said.

The Naomi Project also offers labor trafficking identification training to employees in the restaurant and construction industry. In turn, the business can show participation in the anti-labor trafficking campaign.

There is also a responsible sourcing tool, where you can review your business or workplace to see if there are additional ways to protect against labor trafficking.

You can find the sourcing tool here.

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South Dakota

South Dakota women’s basketball’s successful season started with portal risks

Published

6 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota women’s basketball’s successful season started with portal risks

VERMILLION — This South Dakota women’s basketball team was built in a modern style — with lots of veterans looking to revive their careers or get a final chance to prove themselves through the transfer portal.

Both head coach Carrie Eighmey and her staff, as well as the first-year ‘Yotes, all felt they took a risk joining forces this offseason.

After a 26-10 season, the second-best win improvement in Division I women’s college basketball and a WNIT Fab 4 appearance, it’s safe to say that risk worked out well for all parties.

“We won 11 games last year,” Eighmey said. “So they took a leap of faith as well. And they joke with us that we took a chance on them. And so we all kind of feel like we took a chance on each other.”

The Coyotes’ entire seven-player rotation was in their first season in Vermillion, with Angelina Robles (Denver), Molly Joyce (Truman State), Jenna Hopp (South Dakota State), Elise Turrubiates (Tarleton State), Patience Williams (Georgia State), Josie Hill (Chicago State) and Tori Schlagel (Eden Prairie High School) all taking on large roles and learning how to play with each other on the fly.

Eighmey, Robles and many other South Dakota players are thankful for General Manager Devin Eighmey and his ability to craft this team.

“I’m just so grateful to Coach Carrie, Coach Dev, for allowing me to be a part of such a special program,” Robles said. “We really believe that we could have gone all the way, but ball didn’t bounce our way. I’m just super grateful for this group of girls and they made this season the best I’ve ever had, and I’m grateful.”

Robles, Turrubiates, Williams and Hill all played their last collegiate game on Wednesday, April 1, and were upset after the game ended, not only because their season was finished, but because they won’t get to play together again.

“I love them with all my heart,” Robles said. “I think we all came in with the same mindset of if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right and we’re going to do it together. And I think that’s exactly what we need to be setting the standard for everyone else that’s staying.”

Joyce is one of the top returners for next year, and this was her first season at the Division I level after two years at Division II. The move ended up being a great one for her, as she broke out to average 12.9 points for the Coyotes.

“My freshman year, I won seven games and my sophomore year, we won 14, so being able to come here and just be a dominant team was super special and just grateful that I got to be a part of this group because all these girls are my best friends,” Joyce said.

None of the players took advantage of the opportunity as much as Robles, who became the vocal and statistical leader of this South Dakota team and became a star in the league she spent her first three seasons in. Robles ended her senior season at 15.8 points per game and 38.0% shooting from three.

“She was a player that, you could see it at different times, she’s emotional,” Eighmey said. “I think one of the things that she grew so much in was just her ability to play with emotion, but not let being emotional take her away from what she was trying to do. I think the thing that was really neat about her was she started to really understand what winning looks like and what it takes to win, and I think that’s what gave her that swagger.”

Robles attributes her rise to stardom to her teammates and the faith her coach showed her early on this season. As she experienced some ups and downs throughout the season, everyone stuck together and came out better on the other side.

“I’ve said this so many times, but Carrie really believed in me and saw things that I was capable of that I didn’t even see for myself, so she put me in a great position,” Robles said. “And Coach Dev made sure that I was surrounded by great human beings off the court, but also on the court. We’re a selfless team and the whole plan was to make it as far as we could and we made it to April. Not a lot of teams can say that, so that’s a blessing and we just fought hard.”

Building this team wasn’t easy and a lot could’ve gone wrong, but all parties feel it was worth it. Even with a third-place finish in the Summit League and a loss in the WNIT semis, the coaches and players felt this team showed what a Carrie Eighmey-led team will look like from here on out.

“They show up, gave great energy,” Eighmey said. “It’s just fun to be around. Honestly, I think the way they played was very inspiring. I think it speaks to the way that people started showing up for this team and supporting this team. ‘Yote fans have always been very supportive of the women’s basketball program, but I felt like as this season continued to build and this team continued to become more and more of the best version of itself, people got on board and they were inspired and appreciated the way we played. It was a blast to coach them.”

The players all feel this season was a success, even without a trophy, and Eighmey will be the one to bring this South Dakota program back to the heights of the early 2020s.

“And I’m going to boldly say this, I see a Summit League championship in the next couple years,” Robles said. “So bring it back to South Dakota and I will be in the stands watching you guys get it.”

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South Dakota

$7.8 million to fight substance use disorder in South Dakota

Published

18 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

.8 million to fight substance use disorder in South Dakota

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South Dakota

2 new directors join SDNW board

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Carson Walker

Chief Executive Officer
605-610-9366
carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org

South Dakota News Watch has added two new members to its board of directors.

Rita Edwards, of Madison, and Mark Millage, of Sioux Falls, fill seats left vacant when Christine Hamilton and Jon Hunter termed out of their positions last year. Many thanks to both of them for their years of service, which included Hunter serving as secretary.

Edwards is a retired lawyer whose most recent experience was in general and bank and financial institution practice at Davenport Evans Lawyers in Sioux Falls. She also serves on the South Dakota State University Alumni and Foundation Board of Trustees, the Prairie Repertory Theatre Board of Directors and on the board for Habitat for Humanity in Madison as well as on board and chair positions in the organization at the state and international levels.

Millage started as an intern at KELO-TV in 1983 and was promoted to news director in 1989, a position he held until 2008. Millage is currently director of community relations for Furniture Mart USA. He is also a community volunteer serving on several other boards, including Sioux Empire United Way, South Dakota Gaming Commission and co-chair of the St. Francis House community appeals campaign.

Other board members

Here are the full bios of Edwards, Millage and the other directors and officers of South Dakota News Watch:

Kristi Hine, chair, of Wessington Springs, is editor and publisher of the True Dakotan weekly newspaper after a career in marketing and public relations.
Travis Rhoades, treasurer, of Sioux Falls, and his wife, Kristen, operate multiple Scooter’s Coffee franchises in and around the Sioux Falls area.
Janelle Toman, secretary, of Pierre, worked as a journalist and then for 20 years with the media, state policymakers and the public to provide information about South Dakota’s system of public higher education as director of communications for the Board of Regents.
Marci Burdick, of Rapid City, who served as SDNW chair in 2023-2024, retired in 2018 after a 48-year career in broadcasting. In 2025, she received the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.
Nancy Turbak Berry, of Watertown, is an attorney, former South Dakota state legislator (2007-2010) and longtime advocate of open government.
Tim Waltner, of Freeman, was publisher of the Freeman Courier before passing that title to his son, Jeremy, in 2016, although he remained active as a writer, editor and photographer before retiring in 2020.
Stephany (Beshara) Chalberg, of Rapid City, worked in local newspaper and television in South Dakota and Utah and now manages public relations for Monument Health in Rapid City.
Debra Jensen, of Black Hawk, is a fourth-generation South Dakotan. She worked in local television in South Dakota and Montana before operating Black Hills Bagels in Rapid City with her husband until 2024.

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South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org.

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