Public Policy

In the past 15 years, Congress has made great progress in combating human trafficking. But the current legislation simply responds to trafficking, rather than preventing it.

In 1984, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) authorized the Crime Victims Fund to help victims receive the services they need – but now Congress wants to take $1.5 billion dollars from the Fund for other spending.

Erica is a human rights advocate who has long-supported nonprofit causes in the regions she has lived. Erica joins Polaris to fight for greater resources and action against the $150 billion a year criminal industry that continues to exploit 20.9 million people in forms of modern slavery worldwide.

Polaris praised President Obama’s nomination of Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Coppedge as Ambassador-at-Large and Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) at the U.S. Department of State. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, issued a statement today following passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, S.178, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris joins 90 organizations in calling on the U.S. Senate to reach a bipartisan compromise on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. We urge all members of the Senate to turn away from this divisive debate and find a bipartisan approach to this new initiative to protect and serve the needs of survivors. 

Read the sign on letter here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, criticized the U.S. Senate today for failing to proceed with key anti-human trafficking legislation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, applauded members of the U.S. Senate today for passing key anti-human trafficking legislation out of the U.S. Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Relations. Polaris, which supports the legislation under consideration, urges the full Senate to take up and pass the bills.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, released a statement today as the U.S. House of Representatives passes a series of 12 bills aimed at combating human trafficking.