Human Trafficking Prevention

Since 2010, the President has dedicated the month of January to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to prevent and respond to this crime.

“More than 27 million people around the world endure the abhorrent abuse of human trafficking and forced labor, including thousands of people right here in the United States. It is a threat to global security, public safety, and human dignity.”

Join us in the fight to #EndHumanTrafficking.

Read A Proclamation on National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2024 | The White House

Human trafficking victims can be any age, race, gender, sex, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, or socioeconomic class. In many cases, victims do not come forward to seek help because of varying vulnerability factors that may include potential language barriers, a fear and distrust of authority, or they do not self-identify as a victim. Traffickers target vulnerabilities and will look to satisfy whatever need an individual has, whether it’s providing basic needs like food or shelter or emotional support.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States.

In the United States, some of the most vulnerable populations include American Indian/Alaska Native communities, individuals with disabilities, undocumented immigrants, runaway and homeless youth, and low-income individuals. These victims are deceived by false promises of love, a good job, or a stable life and are lured or forced into situations where they are made to work under deplorable conditions with little or no pay.

Victims can be found in legal and illegal labor industries, including childcare, elder care, the drug trade, massage parlors, hair salons, restaurants, hotels, factories, and farms. In some cases, victims are hidden behind doors in domestic servitude in a home. Others are in plain view, interact with people on a daily basis, and are forced to work under extreme circumstances in exotic dance clubs, construction, health and beauty services, or restaurants.

Sex trafficking exists within diverse and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, and elsewhere.

Human trafficking victims make an alarmingly high number of consumer goods and food products, imported to the United States and produced domestically. More often than we realize, elements of forced labor may be present within the supply chain of products we buy or the services we pay for. As economies around the world integrate, it is faster and easier for goods produced with forced labor to enter the global market. In the U.S., labor traffickers exploit and enslave both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens.

Who Are the Traffickers?

Perpetrators of human trafficking span all racial, ethnic, and gender demographics and are as diverse as survivors. Some use their privilege, wealth, and power as a means of control while others experience the same socio-economic oppression as their victims. They include individuals, business owners, members of a gang or network, parents or family members of victims, intimate partners, owners of farms or restaurants, and powerful corporate executives and government representatives.

Sex traffickers frequently target victims and then use violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and manipulation to keep victims involved in the sex industry for their own profit.

Reality: Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to get another person to provide labor or commercial sex. Worldwide, experts believe there are more situations of labor trafficking than of sex trafficking. However, there is much wider awareness of sex trafficking in the United States than of labor trafficking.

Reality: One study estimates that as many as half of sex trafficking victims and survivors are male. Advocates believe that percentage may be even higher but that male victims are far less likely to be identified. LGBTQ boys and young men are seen as particularly vulnerable to trafficking.

Reality: Human trafficking is often confused with human smuggling, which involves illegal border crossings. In fact, the crime of human trafficking does not require any movement whatsoever. Survivors can be recruited and trafficked in their own home towns, even their own homes.

Reality: Many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.

Reality: That is sometimes the case. More often, however, people in trafficking situations stay for reasons that are more complicated. Some lack the basic necessities to physically get out - such as transportation or a safe place to live. Some are afraid for their safety. Some have been so effectively manipulated that they do not identify at that point as being under the control of another person.

Potential Red Flags for Human Trafficking Situations

The following scenarios might be red flags for relationships or jobs that may develop into human trafficking. One or more of these may indicate that an individual is at-risk for sex or labor trafficking. This list is not exhaustive.

The Intimate Partner or Employer:

Comes on very strongly and promises things that seem too good to be true – i.e. promises extremely high wages for easy work.
Expects that you will agree to the employment or relationship on the spot and threatens that otherwise the opportunity will be lost.
Is unclear about the terms of employment, location of employment and/or the company details/credentials. Partner/employer denies access to information about your rights.
Denies contact with friends or family or attempts to isolate you from your social network.
Constantly checks on you and does not allow you access to your money.
Asks you to do things outside of your comfort zone such as performing sexual favors for friends.
Displays signs/characteristics of a dangerous person including attempts to control movement and behaviors, exhibits jealousy, lashes out or delivers punishment in response to noncompliance, is verbally/emotionally/physically abusive.
Uses threats or displays of violence to create a culture of fear.

Not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.
Safety Planning Information | National Human Trafficking Hotline

In January 2022, the Department of Justice issued the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking that was fully aligned with the foundational pillars announced in the President’s National Action Plan - prevention of human trafficking, prosecution of human trafficking cases, protection of victims and survivors, and partnership at every level of government. Federal agencies worked together to develop resources to help the public learn the signs and prevent human trafficking. Learn the 20 ways you can help fight human trafficking by visiting the State Department and the “Blue Campaign” websites, a national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking and how to respond.

If you or someone you know has experienced human trafficking, help is available. The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides free, confidential help, 24/7. Call: 1-888-373-7888; Text: HELP to 233733 (BEFREE); or Chat: humantraffickinghotline.org/chat. The National Human Trafficking Hotlineconnects victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking with services and supports to get help and stay safe. The Trafficking Hotline also receives tips about potential situations of sex and labor trafficking and facilitates reporting that information to the appropriate authorities in certain cases.

Forced Labor:

Factsheet: CBP Forced Labor Webpage
Factsheet: Forced Labor and the Clean Energy Transition: Finding a Responsible Way Forward
Factsheet: Forced Labor in China's Xinjiang Region
Factsheet: Forced Labor: The Hidden Cost of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Factsheet: How does CBP enforce 19 U.S.C. 1307?
Factsheet: Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Factsheet
Factsheet: What can importers do to help combat forced labor?
Factsheet: Due Diligence in Global Supply Chains
Information Memorandum: Federal Statutory and Regulatory Framework on Forced Labor in Healthcare and Public Health Supply Chains
Report: Department of Labor’s 2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
Report: Department of Labor’s 2022 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
Resource: CBP Withhold Release Orders and Findings
Resource: Forced Labor Frequently Asked Questions
Resource: Sample Blog Post on Labor Trafficking from DOJ OVC [see page 2]
Resource: Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Survivor-related:

Factsheet: Unifying Trauma-Informed Practices and Voices of Survivor Leadership
Report: HTLA Class 1 Recommendations on Survivor Informed Practices
Resource: Empowering Survivors: Four Ways USAID is countering human trafficking
Resource: Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking
Toolkit: Building Survivor-Informed Organizations
Toolkit: Survivor-Informed Practice Self-Guided Assessment

If you believe you are a victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please contact the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.