Congress Agrees to Fund Crucial Trafficking Victims' Services

This weekend, Congress passed the omnibus Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, which included great news for human trafficking survivors and those who serve them, to the tune of increased funding for human trafficking victim services. Thanks to the over 5,000 of you who wrote in asking the House to support this crucial funding. Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Wolf heard you loud and clear! This bill is now on President Obama's desk for signature, and the likelihood he will sign it is high.

Some of the highlights from the final package include:

• Funding for human trafficking victim service grants and the Department of Justice's Human Smuggling and Trafficking Prosecution Unit was increased by 25% for the next fiscal year. Hooray!
• A Trafficking in Persons point of contact will be mandatory for every US Attorney's office, ensuring that no area is without this important point-person to see through human trafficking prosecutions. This person will also serve as a liaison for all victims services organizations.
• $5,300,000 was provided for the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division to allow for more prosecution of traffickers. This is more than a 50% increase in funding from the last fiscal year, which is a solid improvement. The HTPU has seen a 600% increase in its caseload over the past four years, but has received no increase in funding until now. While I'd wish more a little more, this is still a vast improvement.
• $12,500,000 was provided for victim assistance grants, a 25% increase in funding over the last fiscal year. Such a huge increase is virtually unheard of in just one year, especially for something like victims services which, sadly, is not always seen as a top funding priority.

But this bill isn't just about dollar amounts. The money Congress appropriated for human trafficking victims services represents opportunities for recovery, healing, and growth for the upwards of 17,500 people who are trafficked into the United States and the tens of thousands of Americans trafficked internally each year. Many of these victims are in desperate need of services like medical care, counseling, legal assistance, shelter, education, and employment in order to recover from horrific abuses and rebuild their lives. Without adequate funds those services in the U.S. will be underfunded and inaccessible for many survivors.  For many trafficking survivors, these services are the key to a new life after the horrible ordeal of slavery.

Thank you for your persistence in asking Congress to give human trafficking victims the resources they need to survive slavery.

Photo credit: International Collaborative Peace and Development Network