| For decades, franchised hotels have been a common scene of sex-trafficking crimes in the U.S. A new legal strategy is targeting the corporations that collect royalties from them.  Illustration by Grace J. Kim The sight of a Days Inn, or a Super 8, or a Comfort Inn sign on the side of the road may generate a sense that the nation’s hotels and motels are part of an interconnected network of brands, promising uniform standards wherever you might choose to stop. But most of these establishments are independently owned and operated, with large corporations taking percentages from the franchisees who operate them. This system is a reliable money-maker, but, as Bernice Yeung explains in an urgent new report, it also “allows chains to argue they shouldn’t be held responsible for safety and security problems that emerge at a property they don’t directly oversee.” One glaring safety issue is human trafficking; according to one survey, “more than sixty per cent of sex-trafficking victims said that they were forced to sell sex from hotels.” Yeung tells the harrowing stories of several of these young women, and explores the growing momentum in the legal community to hold the big hotel franchisers responsible. As one woman explains, about her decision to join a lawsuit against a major hotel brand, “I wanted somebody to see me and I wanted somebody to hear me because this shit happens all the time.” Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
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