HSI’s Efforts to Counter Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

HSI’s Efforts to Counter Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

The issue of human trafficking, also known as modern slavery, has become an increasing concern in recent years. While forms of human trafficking have existed for centuries, concerted efforts by both civil society and the U.S. government to address this issue have ramped up significantly in the 21st century.

Mounting concern about human traffickers’ ability to operate with relative impunity to compel individuals into forced labor or commercial sex acts culminated in the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) by the 106th U.S. Congress in 2000. This landmark legislation recognized human trafficking as a federal crime and outlined new tools to prevent it, protect its victims, and prosecute its perpetrators.

A key agency tasked with investigating and combatting human trafficking under the TVPA is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HSI). As the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE/HSI plays an integral role in deterring, disrupting and dismantling human trafficking operations.

Key Objectives and Initiatives

ICE/HSI pursues a multi-pronged strategy focused on the following key objectives:

• Investigating and prosecuting traffickers and dismantling the criminal networks perpetrating human trafficking
• Enhancing victim identification and providing relief and services for all trafficking victims
• Raising awareness about human trafficking issues through training, community outreach, and private sector engagement

Some of ICE/HSI’s major initiatives and operations to combat human trafficking include:

• The Angel Watch Center, launched in 2019 to identify child sex tourists and prevent them from exploiting children globally
• Operation Predator, a program to identify, investigate and arrest child predators and human traffickers
• Forced labor investigations focused on industries like agriculture, hospitality, traveling sales crews, domestic work, and manufacturing
• The iGuardian initiative to train school personnel, healthcare workers, law enforcement and others to recognize and report signs of human trafficking

Partnerships and Training

ICE/HSI collaborates extensively with other agencies and organizations to maximize the impact of its anti-trafficking efforts. Key partnerships include:

• Working with the Department of State and local law enforcement on human trafficking investigations
• Partnering with the Department of Labor and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify forced labor
• Collaborating with the private sector and NGOs to provide human trafficking awareness training
• Building international partnerships, such as training officials in Germany and Switzerland on investigative techniques

Results and Impact

ICE/HSI’s efforts to combat human trafficking have yielded significant results, including:

• Initiating over 1,000 human trafficking-related cases in FY 2019 alone
• Making thousands of trafficking-related arrests over the past 5 years
• Rescuing hundreds of victims from trafficking situations
• Seizing millions in assets from traffickers and seeking restitution for victims
• Disrupting and dismantling dozens of trafficking networks globally

In addition to investigations and prosecutions, ICE/HSI aims to prevent human trafficking before it starts. Through training and outreach programs, HSI is educating key communities on recognizing trafficking and reporting suspected cases.

HSI also strives to reduce the market for goods produced by forced labor, including through import bans on goods linked to forced labor. As DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated, “We will not permit American consumers to be unwitting supporters of trafficking through the purchase of goods produced by forced labor.”

The Road Ahead

While ICE/HSI has made major strides, human trafficking remains a significant problem exacerbated by current global crises. HSI will continue enhancing its victim-centered approach, while exploring new ways to deter traffickers and disrupt their operations.

Key priorities looking ahead include improving data collection and analysis to identify trafficking indicators, strengthening prevention through education and outreach, increasing restitution for victims, and building international partnerships to enhance investigations and prosecutions.

As trafficking networks become more sophisticated, HSI is committed to evolving its strategies and capabilities. Through a trauma-informed, collaborative approach, HSI will continue working tirelessly to support victims, bring traffickers to justice, and end modern slavery.