U.S. Reps. McSally, Sanchez Introduce Legislation to Improve Trafficking Prevention

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to enhance trafficking prevention efforts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS Human Trafficking Prevention Act takes action to address serious gaps in information gathering and sharing processes at DHS, highlighted in a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report. The report found that known traffickers have used American visa programs to bring victims into the U.S.

“Reports that criminals are taking advantage of our own programs to traffic and exploit their victims are sickening,” said Rep. McSally. “These are not simply oversights. These are failures of the highest degree that resulted in innocent people being forced into sexual and other forms of slavery. Our agencies have to do better to close these gaps, and this bill will require DHS step up its game and improve the way it acquires and shares information to stop traffickers looking to exploit our systems.”

“Human trafficking is a pervasive human rights crisis and atrocious crime that is often committed right under our noses. Up to 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year,” said Rep. Sanchez, a member of the Congressional Caucus on Human Trafficking. “Far too many victims are slipping through the cracks and this bill will renew our commitment to combat human trafficking. It is our responsibility as members of Congress to do whatever it takes to stop the illegal and immoral smuggling of innocent people and children, into the U.S. We must take the necessary steps to end this scourge of modern day slavery.”

Among the findings contained in the OIG’s report, which was released on January 11, 2016, were:

• Information systems and processes used by both ICE and USCIS to collect data on human traffickers were unreliable and incomplete;
• ICE’s information collection system provided widely varying and incomplete data to investigators;
• And USCIS did not always collect the names and other identifying information about human traffickers provided in their victims’ visa applications.

Because of these gaps, auditors determined:

• Between 2005 and 2014, 17 of 32 known traffickers used visa programs to bring in victims who were exploited for either forced labor or prostitution;
• And 274 suspected traffickers successfully petitioned Federal officials to bring 425 family members or fiancés into the United States.

The DHS Human Trafficking Prevention Acts seeks to close these gaps by requiring DHS to issue Department-wide guidance for identifying and recording the names and other information of known or convicted traffickers as well as practices for enhanced collaboration and sharing of this information. The bill also requires that information technology systems used to record and track information on traffickers are integrated. Lastly, the bill directs the Inspector General to review changes in DHS’s processes within 18 months of enactment.

Rep. McSally has placed a strong focus on efforts to combat trafficking. During her first month in office, she held a roundtable with local elected officials, members of law enforcement, and non-profit leaders on ways the community can work together to stop trafficking in Southern Arizona. Last February, she joined Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller to declare Pima County a “Zero Tolerance Human Trafficking Zone.” She also has spoken on the House floor in support of legislation signed into law to punish offenders who facilitate trafficking of victims online.