In 2019 Trump proclaimed January National Slavery & Human Trafficking Awareness Month. There are nearly 25 million human trafficking victims worldwide. Trump has done more to combat this modern slavery epidemic than any President in modern history. Here’s a thread of facts:
Trump signed The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act authorized $430 million to fight sex and labor trafficking.
An Interagency Task Force was formed to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons consisting of 19 departments and agencies, which work tirelessly to prosecute traffickers, protect survivors, and prevent future crime.
The Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative resulted in Federal law enforcement more than doubling convictions of human traffickers & increasing the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts.
The Federal Govt. continues to provide awareness training to first-responders to detect & respond to trafficking & to inform all citizens. The Dept. of Transportation has announced $4 million in grants to transit agencies to address public safety, including human trafficking.
Trump formed the “Allow States & Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act” (FOSTA) which includes the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” (SESTA). SESTA removed legal protections for internet platforms that knowingly facilitate child sex trafficking. These acts empowered LEOs.
In 2018 Trump’s DOJ took down backpage.com, one of the leading marketplaces for trafficking including hosting child trafficking. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said Backpage is involved in 73% of the suspected child trafficking reports it receives
Trump’s OMB published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking.
* Federal agencies have provided training to tens of thousands of law enforcement officers.
* Federal agencies have provided training to tens of thousands of law enforcement officers.
U.S. law enforcement officers are collaborating with Mexican law enforcement officials to dismantle trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has made progress on strengthening physical borders with the wall construction which will impede trafficking.
Open borders have allowed easy access & passage for human traffickers to smuggle & traffic human beings into the U.S. Estimates suggest that about 50,000 people are trafficked into the US each year, most often from Mexico and the Philippines.
The administration is tightening regulations on countries that fail to meet minimum standards of working in order to end human trafficking. Those living in poverty are at an increased risk of being trafficked.
In 2018, The Human Trafficking Institute reports over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in the US were sex trafficking cases involving only children.
The Administration is challenging foreign governments that facilitate & fail to punish human trafficking to implement anti-trafficking laws to convict traffickers & protect victims with The Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Trump’s immigrations & customs enforcement’s Homeland Security investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with human trafficking & identified 325 victims in the 2018 fiscal year.
The Department of Homeland Security has also hired more victim assistance specialists helping victims get resources & support in their recovery. The Abolish Human Trafficking Act provides resources for trafficking victims.
Trump’s Department of Health & Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators & give a lifeline to rescue victims. The hotline identified 16,862 potential trafficking cases & provided 14,419 referrals from 10/2017-3/2019
Trump’s DOJ provided grants to organizations that support human trafficking victims-serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017-June 30th 2018. A $13.5 million federal grant was allocated for emergency and short-term housing for victims of sex and labor trafficking.
I’ll continue to update this list as more progress is made in the ongoing effort to combat human trafficking. Much gratitude to @WhiteHouse & the @realDonaldTrump Administration. 🙏🏻
Please help inform others. Thank you!
Please help inform others. Thank you!
On September 21st Ivanka Trump and AG Bill Barr announced $100 Million in federal grants to specifically be used combating human trafficking. The money will go to task forces, victim services and victim housing.
On August 4th the Trump administration announced $35 million in grants to outside organizations that provide safe housing for victims of human trafficking. The grants are being shared by 73 different organizations in 33 states to provide up to 24 months of housing assistance.
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