Act Now: End Human Trafficking from Cuba to Mexico

Act Now: End Human Trafficking from Cuba to Mexico

Today, there are over 3,500 Cuban doctors in Mexico under a human trafficking scheme. Please help us solve this crime.

In it’s current language, USMCA only prohibits forced labor if it can be proven that it “affects trade or investment.” This fine print protects governments that profit from forced labor, such as Cuba and Mexico. Cuba sends medical personnel abroad, where their passports are taken, their families are threatened, and most of their salary is confiscated. Mexico is complicit in this human trafficking scheme and justifies the weak wording of the treaty by claiming that it “does not affect trade.” In reality, this contracting of medical personnel is nothing more than modern slavery, and it should never be permitted in a trade agreement with the United States.

The solution is simple: update Article 23.6 so that it prohibits once and for all, without exceptions, all forms of forced labor and government-organized trafficking. Closing this loophole is not only a human rights issue: it is about U.S. credibility, protecting vulnerable workers, and preventing dictatorships like Cuba’s from financing repression and instability in the region with trafficking money.

INSTRUCTIONS: You can copy the text written above ^ and paste it in the “General Comments” section at the end of the form. After our suggested text, you may also add a personal comment if you wish.

How to Submit Your Comment

1. Go to: https://comments.ustr.gov/s/
2. Look For: Request for Comments on the Operation of the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada
3. Click “Submit Comment.”
4. Complete your name and email (organization is optional). Click Next.
5. Select “Chapter 23: Labor”, then “Other”, and finally “Labor.”
6. In the General Comments box, paste the suggested text (and add a personal note if you wish).
7. Review and click Submit.

After submitting, your comment will appear publicly on the USTR portal.

The Problem

The trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico (USMCA / T-MEC) supposedly prohibits forced labor — but only if it “affects trade or investment.” That fine print protects governments like Cuba and Mexico that profit from forced labor. Cuba sends medical workers abroad, takes their passports, threatens their families, and confiscates up to 95% of their salaries. Mexico is complicit in this system and uses the weak wording of the treaty to say that this trafficking of medical personnel “does not affect trade.” In reality, this is modern slavery, and it should never be allowed in a trade agreement with the United States.

The Solution

Update Article 23.6 so that it prohibits all forms of forced labor and government-sponsored trafficking — with no exceptions. This is not only a human rights issue. It is also about U.S. credibility, protecting vulnerable workers, and preventing regimes like Cuba’s from financing repression and instability in the region with trafficking revenues.

Why It Matters

• Human Rights: Forced labor = modern slavery.
• National Security: Cuba uses trafficking revenues to repress, promote migration, and destabilize other countries.
• U.S. Credibility: The United States cannot allow a trade agreement to legitimize human trafficking and make the U.S. complicit in slavery.