This past week, US representatives have raised concerns about the government’s reallocation of law-enforcement resources from trafficking to immigration enforcement. They join advocates in warning this reprioritization puts more people at risk of trafficking. During the same period, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released long-delayed funding for trafficking survivor services following sustained public pressure from civil society. The developments underscore how uncertain trafficking protections and survivor support remain amid shifting US priorities.
Human trafficking on the backburner for authorities
Democratic senators sent a letter to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the DOJ. They accuse the government of reassigning thousands of federal law enforcement personnel away from investigations into child exploitation, human trafficking, and other serious crimes to support immigration enforcement.
The Guardian reports,
The senators cited an ICE document from August 2025, published by the Cato Institute thinktank, which said more than 28,000 personnel from federal law-enforcement agencies had been diverted from their regular duties to work for ICE’s enforcement and removal operations… finding the intense focus on deportations has taken resources away from investigations into sexual crimes against children, an inquiry into a hidden market that finances terrorism, and federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking.
They warned that the shift risks weakening protections for victims at a time when enforcement capacity is already strained.
The modern slavery movement is needed more than ever
The reassignment of investigators comes alongside other signals that trafficking prevention and survivor protection have lost urgency for this administration. In 2025, the US government released its annual Trafficking in Persons report months later than required by law.
At the same time, immigration enforcement policies have placed additional pressure on trafficking survivors. Advocates have reported that some people with pending T visa applications—designed to protect trafficking survivors and support cooperation with law enforcement—have received warnings pushing them to leave the country.
During the same period, the DOJ delayed releasing $88 million already appropriated by Congress to support trafficking survivor services until the end of the year. More than 100 organizations rely on this money to provide shelter, legal assistance, counseling, and case management to survivors. As the delay continued, many programs approached the end of their existing funding cycles. Freedom United and the Freedom Network USA joined together to demand the DOJ and the Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) release the funds and prevent gaps in survivor services. After months of thousands of people sending messages to these offices, the funds were finally released. However, existing funding has already expired months prior, putting thousands of survivors at risk of re-exploitation.
This all points to a broader American shift away from trafficking enforcement and survivor protections. Preventing trafficking and modern slavery will require sustained public scrutiny to ensure these abuses do not fall further down the agenda.
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