Human Trafficking and My Meeting with Ivanka Trump
By Rep. Kristi Noem
There are certain issues where no matter how many times you read about them, hear about them, or talk to folks who have lived through them, you just don’t understand how they could happen – and in South Dakota of all places. Human trafficking is one of those issues for me.
Recently, I sat down with Ivanka Trump at the White House on this very issue, alongside leaders from both sides of the aisle. Many understood the challenges from an international perspective, but when the conversation turned to what was happening inside our country, few realized that rural areas were as affected as major cities.
Whether I’m speaking on the House floor or in a meeting with trafficking advocates in South Dakota, when I start talking about how local law enforcement conducted a sting operation near Watertown that attracted more than 100 solicitations in just two days, people are shocked. Most just don’t realize this can happen in small towns too. But it does.
Beyond rural versus urban, we had a thorough discussion about survivors’ needs. In 2015, existing grants were opened to those who provide housing to trafficking survivors, as a result of legislation I wrote. While experts estimate between 100,000 and 300,000 children are trafficked in the U.S. each year, there are only a few hundred beds available to survivors nationwide. I’m hopeful this additional support will help create more safe spaces for survivors.
But more must be done. Once survivors escape, new challenges arise. Where do they find permanent housing? Or a job? Or a support system? Because traffickers often use drugs and alcohol as a means to control their victims, many survivors have criminal records that limit access to employment, housing, and support.
In 2016, for instance, 80 percent of survivors surveyed by the National Survivor Network had lost or not received employment because of their criminal convictions. To support survivors in getting back on their feet, I helped introduce new legislation that creates a pathway for them to expunge non-violent convictions and arrests from their records, so long as the crimes were a direct result of being trafficked. I’m hopeful this legislation will help relieve survivors of the past, open doors for them, and offer a path forward where healing can begin.
Still, one of the biggest pieces of feedback I get from South Dakota advocates is that we need to build awareness. Shortly after my meeting with Ivanka Trump, the House passed legislation I cosponsored to enhance the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign. This is an effort to equip the general public and specific groups (such as hospitality workers, who may encounter trafficking more often than others) with better tools to identify and intervene when trafficking occurs.
The fight against this inhumane crime requires action from each of us, so I encourage you to take a minute to learn more about the issue and spread the word. The more eyes we have out there looking for signs of distress, the faster we can move toward ending human trafficking altogether.
###