Report trafficking crimes or get help by calling the toll-free hotline
1-888-428-7581 (voice and TTY).
Para registrar su queja o obtener ayuda, llame gratis a
1-888-428-7581 (linea directa y de TTY para personas con incapacidad auditiva)
What is trafficking in persons?
Trafficking in persons — also known as "human trafficking" — is a form of modern-day slavery. Traffickers often prey on individuals who are poor, frequently unemployed or underemployed, and who may lack access to social safety nets, predominantly women and children in certain countries. Victims are often lured with false promises of good jobs and better lives, and then forced to work under brutal and inhuman conditions.
It is a high priority of the Department of Justice to pursue and prosecute human traffickers. Human trafficking frequently involves the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation, a brutal crime the Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting. Trafficking also often involves exploitation of agricultural and sweatshop workers, as well as individuals working as domestic servants.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA) supplements existing laws and establishes new tools and resources to combat trafficking in persons and to provide services and protections for victims.
Reporting Trafficking Crimes
You can report trafficking crimes or get help by calling the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line at 1-888-428-7581 (voice and TTY). New laws provide options for trafficking victims regardless of immigration status. Operators have access to interpreters and can talk with callers in their own language. The service is offered on weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM EST. After these hours, information is available on tape in English, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin.
You can also report suspected instances of trafficking or worker exploitation, by contacting the FBI field office nearest you.
Policy
The Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force (TPWETF) was established to provide a coordinated, government-wide effort to prevent trafficking in persons and worker exploitation throughout the United States. The Task Force is co-chaired by the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, and by the Solicitor of the Department of Labor, and includes other federal agencies that encounter worker issues.
Prosecution
The Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section has the primary enforcement responsibility for the involuntary servitude and peonage statutes. It works closely with the FBI, U.S. Attorneys Offices, and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section to investigate and prosecute cases of trafficking in persons and worker exploitation. The Civil Rights Division also funds and staffs the national complaint line for reporting trafficking crimes.
Protection for Victims
Victim Services
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) offers victim support, protection services, prosecutorial and law enforcement strategies, and education resources to trafficking victims and victim service providers. See the OVC's topical resources page on Trafficking in Persons for more information.
OVC also offers funding to provide direct services to victims of trafficking under programs like the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Grant Program.
Victim advocates and caregivers can contact OVC's Resource Center to find out about publications and tools that may be available to assist them in working with trafficking victims. Ask for assistance by calling (800) 627-6872 or (877) 712-9279 (TTY).
Technical Assistance
The Office on Violence against Women (OVW) provides grants and technical assistance to federal, state and local officials to help them respond to the needs and concerns of women who have been victimized by violence, and to develop effective criminal justice responses to violent crimes committed against women.
Prevention Through Outreach and Research
Prosecutors and other Justice Department personnel frequently assist in training local law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international representatives both in the United States and overseas on human trafficking issues.
The National Institute of Justice International Center supports research and exchange of information on activities by offering grants for academic research into the subjects of trafficking in persons and child exploitation.
The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) in the Office of Justice Programs offers information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide on various criminal justice issues, including international trafficking.
Links
For more information about the Department components that are most active in this area, consult the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, and the Office for Victims of Crime Web sites.
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