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Most people assume that the 13th amendment entirely abolished legal slavery in the United States. But there is an exception: Prison labor. Unscrupulous corporations and governments looking to plug holes in their budgets have used this exception to turn a profit. This is trafficking, and it is not what the framers intended. 

LGBTQ+ people are particularly vulnerable to human traffickers in part because bias and discrimination in things like jobs and housing gives traffickers an opening to step in. The Equality Act would make such discrimination illegal under federal law.

Survivors should not have to pay federal taxes on money they win by facing down their traffickers in court. Contact your Senators and ask them to support the bipartisan Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act (S.895).

It should be a crime for law enforcement to have sex with people they encounter as part of a human trafficking investigation. Believe it or not, this happens - including in a recent Arizona case involving ICE officers and a massage parlor investigation. Tell Congress to act.

Love - or at least the illusion of it - is a powerful weapon in the hands of sex traffickers. Pledge to learn more about how traffickers groom vulnerable people to cooperate in their own exploitation - and to have the hard conversations necessary to stop it if you see it.

Understanding the realities of child sex trafficking will help you to not only keep your own children safe, but to become an effective advocate for the safety of all children and families in your community. Share our graphics on social media and expand awareness of what child trafficking is and how it works.

Already in vulnerable positions, COVID-19 and the subsequent economic upheaval have made runaway and homeless youth even more vulnerable than ever to human traffickers. Their options are fewer than ever and their needs likely greater. But so far, the COVID-19 relief legislation has left them behind. Call on your Senators to change this.

Youth and young adults experiencing homelessness often remain invisible as they live on the streets, in shelters, in their car or by staying temporarily with others. Homeless young people have already been failed by numerous systems - and people - who were supposed to help keep them safe. They are in survival mode, lacking the basic necessities of life - a safe place to live, regular sources of food. That’s when traffickers swoop in. 

Domestic workers have been left out of virtually every major federal labor protection law. That fact, coupled with isolated, informal working conditions make this workforce very vulnerable to labor trafficking. It is time to give the nannies, house cleaners and home health aides who help busy families manage their lives the respect, the payment and the protection they deserve.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of guest workers from around the world will enter the U.S. on a myriad of temporary work visas. Many of these guest workers are at the mercy of a single employer for both their job and their legal status in the U.S., making them especially vulnerable to human trafficking.

In 2019, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline saw a nearly 20 percent increase in the number of victims and survivors who contacted us directly about their own situations. But we can do better with your help! Share our infographics on social media and expand awareness of human trafficking and the Trafficking Hotline.