Federal Government Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) called for the creation of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts among various U.S. Federal government agencies. The following Federal government agencies are implementing programs to protect and assist victims of human trafficking and to capture and prosecute their traffickers.
U.S.
Department Health and Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for
certifying victims of human trafficking once they are identified. This certification
allows victims to receive Federally funded benefits and services to the
same extent as refugees.
U.S. Department of Justice
DOJ investigates cases of trafficking and prosecutes the traffickers. DOJ
has also contributed to the construction of a network of trafficking victims
service providers via their grant programs, and facilitates the complaint
process for persons wanting to report a case of trafficking.
U.S. Department of Labor
DOL offers programs such as job-search, job-placement assistance and job-counseling
services as well as educational and training services and referrals to supportive
services such as transportation, childcare and housing, through its One-Stop
Career Center System - which victims can access after HHS certification.
The Wage and Hour Division also investigates complaints of labor law violation,
and is an important partner in the detection of trafficking victims.
U.S. Department of State
State is responsible for coordinating international anti-trafficking programs
and efforts.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS), a
division of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, investigates cases of
trafficking, and is an important partner in victim identification. USCIS
awards the T visa and continued presence status, which makes a victim eligible
for HHS certification.