This is an archive of an Office of Justice Programs Special Focus Section. This page is no longer updated and may contain outdated information and links that no longer function.
Human Trafficking
Related Resources
Following are websites, programs, and additional resources that have been established and/or supported by federal agencies related to the prevention and detection of human trafficking and support to those who have been victimized.
OJP Resources
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA): Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Initiative
BJA's efforts to combat human trafficking are two-pronged: 1) to develop training for law enforcement and communities to identify trafficking in persons and rescue victims by working with federal law enforcement and victims service providers; and 2) to support and fund task forces in coordination with other agencies.
National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Human Trafficking
NIJ’s Human Trafficking page provides information about human trafficking/smuggling and highlights NIJ’s role related to funding and supporting research on the topic.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
The OJJDP CSEC page captures information and resources related to the impact sexual abuse and exploitation can have on children. Also highlighted is information about OJJDP programs and initiatives aimed at preventing such exploitation.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): Human Trafficking ??? Services for Survivors
This section of the OJJDP website provides information about labor and sex trafficking of persons and presents resources to help victims.
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC): Trafficking in Persons/Human Trafficking
OVC was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to State victim assistance and compensation programs; the lifeline services that help victims heal. The agency supports trainings designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims. The Trafficking in Persons/Human Trafficking section of the OVC site captures a compilation of resources related to human trafficking.
Additional Federal Resources
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP)
OTIP is responsible for the development of anti-trafficking strategies, policies, and programs to prevent human trafficking, build health and human service capacity to respond to human trafficking, increase victim identification and access to services, and strengthen health and well-being outcomes of survivors of human trafficking.
- National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC)
With funding from ORR, the NHTRC is a dedicated national, toll-free anti-trafficking hotline (1-888-373-7888), available to answer calls from anyone, anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. The NHTRC provides round-the-clock emergency assistance and service referrals for victims; refers tips to specialized federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and disseminates information and training on human trafficking.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Human Trafficking
DHS is responsible for investigating human trafficking, arresting traffickers and protecting victims. DHS initiates hundreds of investigations and makes numerous arrests every year, using a victim-centered approach. DHS also processes immigration relief through Continued Presence, T visas, and U visas to victims of human trafficking and other designated crimes.
- Blue Campaign
DHS’s Blue Campaign combats human trafficking through enhanced public awareness, victim assistance programs, and law enforcement training and initiatives.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
The DOJ mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the U.S. according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. Following are specific DOJ offices that are associated with anti-trafficking efforts:
- Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS)
CEOS works to combat incidences of child exploitation and the trafficking of women and children. Issues under the CEOS umbrella include child pornography, illegal interstate or international transportation of women and children, international parental abduction, computer-related exploitation of children, and child victimization on federal and Indian lands. - Civil Rights Division/Criminal Section
The Criminal Section prosecutes cases involving the violent interference with liberties and rights defined in the Constitution or federal law. The rights of both citizens and non-citizens are protected. - Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
OVW provides national and international leadership on legal and policy issues regarding violence against women, including trafficking in persons and worker exploitation.
Department of State
The mission of the Department of State is to advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world. Following are Department of State initiatives that focus on anti-trafficking efforts:
- Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center
The Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center was established by Section 7202 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The Center will achieve greater integration and overall effectiveness in the U.S. Government's enforcement and other response efforts, and work with other governments to address the separate but related issues of alien smuggling, trafficking in persons, and criminal support of clandestine terrorist travel. - Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act authorized the establishment of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons which leads the United States' global engagement against human trafficking.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Human Trafficking/Involuntary Servitude
The FBI works to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, including human trafficking.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Human Trafficking
The mission of the ICE Human Trafficking Unit is to identify, both domestically and internationally, criminal individuals and organizations involved in human smuggling and trafficking and destroy their ability to operate by using the full range of resources, capabilities, and authorities available to ICE.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Victims of Human Trafficking & Other Crimes
USCIS helps protect victims of human trafficking and other crimes by providing immigration relief.
