Press Release:
AZ Middle School Students Bring Awareness to Human Trafficking Crisis
on the Navajo Nation
Madison Meadow’s Students shed light on the crisis affecting the Navajo Nation
Phoenix, AZ (May XX, 2023) — Human trafficking is a $32 billion industry
worldwide, the second-most profitable industry behind drug trafficking, and it
continues to increase within vulnerable populations. In the past 18 months, the Navajo Nation has seen a sharp rise in human trafficking incidents involving a medical fraud
scheme and the Arizona Health Care Cost and Containment System (AHCCCS).
On Thursday, May 4th, 2023, starting at 4:30 pm at Madison Meadows Middle School, 8th
grade students will be presenting and bringing attention to a type of human trafficking
involving medical fraud that is currently taking place on the Navajo Nation. Native
members seeking medical attention outside of the Navajo Nation are being billed for
services that were not provided and then held in homes, harassed, or abandoned while
the traffickers continue to bill AHCCCS. “It is an issue that affects a large under-
represented part of our AZ community,” stated Mr. Goff, an advisor to the middle
school students, “it’s an issue that doesn’t have a whole lot of awareness around it.”
The project is headed-up by Navajo Nation leaders, teachers, and concerned students
like eighth grader Payton Turner who expressed, “The feelings that come to mind are
worrying about Navajo Nation members and what is happening. I also feel that more
people should know about it and help bring attention to the problem.”
Media Contact:
Natalka Zeleny