Today, I was proud to participate in the Human Trafficking Survivor Forum and Listening Session hosted by the White House, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During the event, the Administration announced the release of the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States, recommitting our efforts to continuing our fight to stop human trafficking and aid victims of this heinous crime.
Jointly developed by the White House, DHS, DOJ, and HHS, this plan highlights the work of our Departments to combat human trafficking, and describes the steps that federal agencies will take to ensure that all victims of human trafficking in the United States are identified and have access to the services they need to recover, including steps to create a victim services network that is comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to the needs of all victims.
At DHS, we work across our missions to combat human trafficking every day:
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations investigates incidents of human trafficking, arrests traffickers, protects victims, and provides short-term immigration relief for foreign victims;
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection interdicts traffickers, protects victims, and disrupts human trafficking schemes at our borders;
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides long-term immigration relief to foreign victims of human trafficking through its T and U visas; and,
- The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center coordinates with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Health Affairs to develop human trafficking awareness training for law enforcement and first responders.
DHS coordinates and unites these initiatives under the DHS Blue Campaign.
January is National Human Trafficking and Slavery Prevention Month. The Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States reaffirms the American values of freedom and equality by strengthening services for victims of human trafficking – an important step in continuing our fight for justice.
To learn more about DHS’s efforts to combat human trafficking and what you can do, visit www.dhs.gov/bluecampaign and read the Federal Strategic Action Plan here.