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If the U.S. Congress and the White House cannot come to agreement on a new bill to help struggling communities through the pandemic, far more people will be at risk of falling prey to sex and labor trafficking. But it doesn’t have to happen. We know how to reduce human trafficking: Keep people in their homes.

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. 

California attracts more temporary foreign workers here legally than anywhere else in the United States. Thousands of temporary workers are being trafficked into forced labor in California under threat of violence, deportation, and harm to their families. This must change. Call on the California State Legislature to amend to protect all migrant workers.

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.

Every year, thousands of workers from other countries come to the United States legally on temporary work visas known as H-2As to work in America’s farms and fields. The U.S. Department of Labor is changing the way the visa program operates. Legal migrant workers holding temporary visas are already extremely vulnerable to labor trafficking. The proposed changes would make things even worse.

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.

The law governing business registration in the United States shields human traffickers from arrest and prosecution. This is particularly problematic in the illicit massage industry, which boasts some 9,000 business locations in the United States, many of which are also human trafficking venues, according to a Polaris’ analysis.

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.

Social media has become a part of our everyday lives and has changed the way we communicate with friends and family. While many of these platforms have created more ways to keep in touch, meet new friends, and even start relationships, there is also a dark side. Social media has become a platform for human traffickers to recruit potential victims through insincere romantic relationships.

With your support, we can help survivors restore their freedom, prevent more victims, and leverage data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever they operate. Pledge to stand up for those who have lost their freedom. Join our movement and help make a difference in the lives of human trafficking victims and survivors.