Q&A: Human Trafficking Happens Under Our Noses

Q: How widespread of a problem is human trafficking in our country?
A:Although exact numbers are difficult to nail down – estimates of victims trafficked within the United States range up to a million people every year – the crime of forcing a human being to provide labor, sex or domestic servitude occurs in communities across the entire country. It’s even more alarming when criminal networks exploit children for these sinister crimes. I wrote bipartisan legislation called theTrafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act(TVPRA) now on the books to educate law enforcement and high-risk youth on how to detect trafficking. The law also helps survivors in their pursuit of justice and established a pilot program to help underserved communities implement treatment models and support services for youth at high risk of human trafficking.
Human trafficking got worse under the Biden-Harris administration with its open border policies and abysmal stewardship of the unaccompanied children (UAC) program. As a result of the reckless vetting of adult sponsors who took in these kids,tens of thousands of migrant childrenmay have been lost or handed over to abusers, criminals and traffickers. I applaud whistleblowers who approached my office to report wrongdoing and help rescue kids who may have endured sexual abuse and forced labor.
For the past dozen years, I’ve investigated the federal government’s mismanagement of migrant kids in federal custody. My most recent oversight exposedappalling mistreatment of kidsplaced with allegedly violent sponsors. I’ll continue working to ensure the mistakes of the previous administration are corrected to protect the well-being of vulnerable children. In December, the Senate unanimously passed mybipartisan billto boost communication between the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services and implement anti-traffickingrecommendationsto raise public awareness and improve survivor support. TheWorking Families Tax Cutslaw alsobeefed up critical resourcesto support law enforcement investigations and combat human trafficking.
Q: Why did you push changes to the National Human Trafficking Hotline?
A:Imagine the fear and urgency of a trafficking victim or survivor seeking assistance. Those who contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline deserve to feel confident their tip, request or referral is acted upon appropriately. Thanks to whistleblower disclosures, my oversight efforts last yeardug into allegationsthe federal contractor running the hotline failed to report tips of human trafficking to law enforcement. For nearly 18 years, the Polaris Project received millions of taxpayer dollars to operate the National Human Trafficking Hotline. An audit by the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Polaris had a nearly 10 percent failure rate in sample cases. Considering the hotline receives nearly 1.5 million tips each year, a nearly 10 percent failure rate shows just how unacceptable that is.
I’mglad the Trump administrationacted swiftly to replace the contractor to run the hotline. I’ll continue my oversight to ensure vulnerable people who have fallen victim to human trafficking are not forgotten and can get the support and services they need to heal from these harrowing crimes. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is open 24 hours a day, year-round. All calls are confidential and answered by trained advocates. Call toll-free (888) 373-7888, send an email tohelp@humantraffickinghotline.orgor text 233-733.
January isNational Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month.