Press Releases

Polaris issued the following statement today after the release of the 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report from the U.S. Department of State. The report lists each country in one of three tiers based on how well the governments meet the "minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons" set by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

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. 

Polaris released a report today that details disturbing levels of labor trafficking within the traveling sales crew industry in the United States. Working within a largely unregulated industry, sales crew members are showing up at the doors of American homes to sell magazines or other products

Polaris praised the major credit card companies today for no longer accepting payments through Backpage.com. For years, Backpage has profited from ads selling victims and survivors of human trafficking, including minors. The move cripples Backpage's ability to profit from these ads, while also disrupting traffickers from selling victims online. 

Polaris released a resource today to help service providers and criminal justice professionals better serve young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) victims of human trafficking. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, today released a resource that provides insight into the experiences of U.S. citizen sex trafficking victims. The issue brief highlights key aspects of the U.S.

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, 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 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, 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.

Polaris reiterated its call for more resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) victims of human trafficking following the release of a study from the Urban Institute. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, released 2014 data from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline and Polaris's BeFree (233733) texting helpline today. In 2014, 5,167 cases of human trafficking were reported in the United States to the NHTRC and Polaris. The NHTRC, which is operated by Polaris and funded by the U.S.