Press Releases

Human Trafficking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 10, 2020
Polaris tracked the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking. As part of this effort, Polaris has undertaken a systematic examination of relevant data from the Polaris-operated U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. The data brief includes the findings of this analysis and policy recommendations.

Polaris Statement on Protests After the Murder of George Floyd

June 3, 2020
Polaris stands in solidarity with all who are protesting the violence against Black Americans and the systemic injustice in our communities. We mourn the many incidences of police brutality that overwhelmingly plague Black communities.

La cara latina de la trata y la explotación en Estados Unidos

April 28, 2020
Polaris detalla las distintas industrias que en los Estados Unidos ofrecen un terreno fértil para la trata de personas y explotación de latinoamericanos y caribeños.

The Latino Face of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in the United States

April 27, 2020
In a new report, Polaris describes the industries that prey on communities from Latin America and the Caribbean for human trafficking and exploitation in the United States.

PayPal, Polaris Join Forces To Fight Human Trafficking

January 16, 2020
Polaris's new Financial Intelligence Unit, which is made possible by financial and subject matter support from PayPal, is designed to leverage intelligence from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and other sources to interrupt trafficker cash flows and enable prosecutions for financial crimes including money laundering.

Polaris Statement on Bill to Decriminalize the Sex Trade in Washington, D.C.

October 15, 2019
The proposed bill does not solely decriminalize sex work in an attempt to help keep people in prostitution safer. It also repeals crimes related to pimping, brothel-keeping, and sex buying.

Casos reportados a la Línea Nacional contra la Trata de Personas aumentaron en un 25% en 2018

July 30, 2019

Polaris anuncia que los casos reportados a la Línea Nacional contra la Trata de Personas dieron un salto de 25 por ciento en 2018 con respecto al año anterior.

U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Cases Soar by 25 Percent in 2018

July 30, 2019
On the United Nations’ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Polaris is announcing that human trafficking cases reported to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline jumped by 25 percent in 2018 from 2017.

New Report Spotlights the Trafficking of Nannies, House Cleaners, Other Domestic Workers in the U.S.

July 24, 2019
Nannies, house cleaners, home health aides, and other domestic workers frequently labor for extremely low pay, sometimes in conditions so abusive it amounts to exploitation and human trafficking, according to a report released by Polaris and the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Polaris Statement on Jeffrey Epstein

July 8, 2019

Polaris, a DC-based nonprofit that operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline for the United States, issued a statement in light of federal prosecutors unsealing new charges against Jeffrey Epstein. 

New Analysis Grades States on Criminal Record Relief for Survivors of Human Trafficking

March 14, 2019

The American Bar Association’s Survivor Reentry Project, Brooklyn Law School, the University of Baltimore School of Law, and Polaris launched a joint report rating all 50 states and D.C. on the effectiveness of their criminal record relief laws for survivors of human trafficking. 

Polaris Names Catherine Chen as Chief Program Officer

February 6, 2019
Polaris announced that Catherine Chen, a longtime leader in the anti-human trafficking field and expert in international labor trafficking has joined the nonprofit as its Chief Program Officer.

Need help? Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline.