President Donald J. Trump Has Made it a Priority to Combat the Heinous Crime of Human Trafficking

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Category: News

Washington, DC - "My Administration is committed to leveraging every resource we have to confront this threat, to support the victims and survivors, and to hold traffickers accountable for their heinous crimes." ~ President Donald J. Trump

ERADICATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING: President Trump has made it a priority to leverage every resource of the Federal Government to end the scourge of human trafficking.

  • The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons released a new report describing the Administration’s progress combating human trafficking.
    • The Task Force consists of 19 departments and agencies, which work tirelessly to prosecute traffickers, protect survivors, and prevent future crime.
  • Through the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, Federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers and increased the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts.
  • In 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismantled an organization that was the internet’s leading source of prostitution-related advertisements resulting in sex trafficking.
  • The Office of Management and Budget published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking.
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with Human Trafficking and identified 325 victims in fiscal year 2018.

FIGHTING TRAFFICKING ON ALL FRONTS: The Administration is committed to thwarting all forms of human trafficking within the United States, at our border, and internationally.

  • The efforts of our Nation’s heroic law enforcement officers are vital to combating the tragedy of human trafficking.
  • Federal agencies have provided training to tens of thousands of law enforcement officers.
  • United States law enforcement officers are collaborating with Mexican law enforcement officials to dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border.
  • The Administration is challenging foreign governments that facilitate and fail to punish human trafficking to implement anti-trafficking laws to convict traffickers and protect victims.

PROTECTING VICTIMS: The Administration is working aggressively to protect and assist every survivor of human trafficking.

  • The Department of Health and Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators and give victims the help they need.
    • The hotline identified 16,862 potential human trafficking cases and provided 14,419 referrals to services between October 2017 and March 2019.
  • DOJ provided grants to organizations that support human trafficking victims – serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has hired more victim assistance specialists, helping ensure that victims have the proper resources and support.
  • The Department of Transportation has announced $4 million in grants to transit agencies to address public safety, including human trafficking.
  • The Federal Government continues to provide awareness training to first-responders to detect and respond to trafficking and to prepare all citizens to identify and report it.