U.S. Attorney General releases Justice Department Strategy to combat human trafficking

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) -U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking as apart of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

The National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking  was released by President Joe Biden on December 3, 2021, with an aim to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.

“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”

“Stopping the trafficking and exploitation of our most vulnerable will always be a significant priority in District of Rhode Island,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, “and doing that effectively means coordinating closely with our state and local law enforcement partners, as well as with advocacy groups to provide training, share resources and develop best practices- to both quickly and effectively prosecute traffickers, and to support their victims.”

The Justice Department has several other Human Traffic fighting ideas like:

• Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
• Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
• Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
• Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
• Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
• Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
• Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
• Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.

To read the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, a copy is provided here.