Mississippi Survivor Helps Redefine Human Trafficking

When Amber Eide graduated high school in Mississippi, she thought meeting an older man at a grocery store was the beginning of a romance. Instead, it became the start of a trafficking situation she didn't even recognize was happening.

"I was very much not aware of what trafficking was," Eide said. "I was young—I thought it was all about love."

Her experience reflects what advocates now know: human trafficking rarely looks like the movies. The exploitation often begins with someone the victim trusts, through manipulation rather than force.

Today, Eide's story is helping change how Mississippi fights trafficking. Over the past five years, cases have been reported in all 82 counties. In 2024 alone, law enforcement identified 195 cases involving nearly 300 victims.

Lori Hill, human trafficking coordinator at the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the crime often hides in plain sight. Training communities to spot red flags has become essential work across the entire state, not just in cities.

Charlotte Arrowsmith, program manager at the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, said the most common trafficker is a romantic partner, followed by family members. Physical restraint and abduction are actually uncommon.

"We are seeing, the more we are asking the questions, people have been involved in trafficking without even realizing it," Arrowsmith said.

For Eide, the coercion escalated after she gave birth. "I remember my child being on the motel bed the day I was trafficked," she said. "No one knew I was being trafficked in the least bit."

The Ripple Effect

Eide's willingness to share her story is creating waves of change. Amanda Dollar, executive director of the Mississippi Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said survivor voices help juries understand what trafficking actually looks like, leading to better prosecutions instead of reduced charges.

The state has expanded protections and training for law enforcement. Certified human trafficking investigators are now stationed across Mississippi, equipped to recognize subtle signs of exploitation.

Dollar said education is particularly crucial for protecting children, since the average age of recruitment is between 12 and 14. Traffickers often build trust slowly through social media and gaming apps before exploiting vulnerable young people.

Mississippi law now carries serious consequences: 20 years to life in prison for trafficking minors, with fines up to $500,000. For adult victims, penalties range from two to 20 years.

Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified 2,785 victims in Mississippi across 1,398 cases. Each number represents someone like Eide, whose story might have remained invisible without advocates willing to redefine what trafficking looks like.

Survivors speaking out are giving others the language to recognize their own exploitation and the courage to seek help.