Tell the US Department of Justice: Survivors can’t wait

Dear Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg and Acting OVC Director Katherine Darke Schmitt,

Starting October 1, 2025, over 100 victim service providers across the U.S. will lose critical funding—leaving at least 3,000 survivors of human trafficking without support—unless FY25 grants are issued in time. I am writing to urge you to help restore funding for these lifesaving victim services.

To date, the DOJ Office for Victims of Crime has not released notices of funding opportunities for the $88 million in funds from FY25 appropriations. Without new grants, over 100 communities will lose a crucial service provider that helps keep their communities safe. Survivors need these services to escape trafficking and rebuild their lives.

These service programs were created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and and have been supported by Congress for 25 years. The DOJ's continued commitment to these services has been essential in helping survivors get the support they need to survive.

Protecting and fully funding these lifesaving programs is critical to protecting survivors and preventing re-exploitation.

To prevent a catastrophic lapse in services, I respectfully urge the DOJ to:
1. Immediately release the FY25 TVPA funds and begin the grant solicitation process.
2. Provide invitations to FY22 grantees for non-competitive awards of at least one year to allow them to continue to serve over 3,000 survivors until the FY25 grants are in place.

Trafficking survivors across the country are at risk of losing the services they need to escape trafficking. Without these lifesaving programs, our community will be less safe, and traffickers will be able to exploit our neighbors with impunity. Please act now to protect survivors.

Sincerely,