Two days after the conclusion of DHS’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Department of Justice hosted its Human Trafficking Summit in Washington. Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand opened the event and outlined some of DOJ’s continued efforts to combat human trafficking. Interest has increased given the Super Bowl is only two days away.
Brand outlined DOJ’s human trafficking prevention measures including using the agency’s financial resources and their partnerships with state and local law enforcement, industry, service providers, and the public to root out the “horrific crime.” Brand said that DOJ is working tirelessly to helping fight trafficking in the United States and across the globe, allocating over $47 million in grant money to support the victims of human trafficking and to train law enforcement. The department has also convicted nearly 500 defendants in sex and trafficking cases. In a single nationwide operation, DOJ was able to free 84 children from trafficking.
Brand also addressed the need for universal awareness. “We need the eyes and ears of other government agencies at all levels, of industry, and of the public,” she said. “We need the help of the media in shining a light on human trafficking. If everyone from flight attendants to hotel clerks to truck drivers to ER doctors learns the signs of trafficking, we will rescue more victims and bring more traffickers to justice.”
If you notice suspicious activity in your community, call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or report tips online.
The DOJ’s Human Trafficking Summit included remarks from Attorney General Jeff Sessions along with representatives of law enforcement, victim-service organizations, and industry. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was also in attendance.
