Biden Signs Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2022

Mourners embrace at the funeral for 16-year-old Tioni Theus, whose body was discovered on the side of a freeway in South Los Angeles after she was shot and killed, on Jan. 27, 2022. The District Attorney said she may have been a human trafficking victim. Mario Tama/Getty Images

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill on Dec. 27, 2022, that codifies and expands the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT).

The Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2022 provides $14 million to the CCHT. Part of that money will be used to staff the organization with “at least 45 employees to carry out the Department’s critical work to combat human trafficking,” according to a DHS press release.

The bill also requires public transportation and hubs—which include buses, planes, and trains—to post the National Human Trafficking Hotline [phone]).

“This is a seminal moment in our fight against the scourge of human trafficking,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

“With the increased funding and additional personnel dedicated to our leading DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, we will advance our work to identify and support victims, conduct operations that hold the traffickers accountable, and strengthen our partnerships with non-governmental organizations.”

President Joe Biden speaks in Washington on Dec. 22, 2022. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The new legislation will also “facilitate the continued development of the Blue Campaign, the Department’s national human trafficking awareness initiative, designed to educate the American public about the signs of trafficking and the ways in which they can help trafficking victims and help bring suspected traffickers to justice,” CCHT Director Cardell T. Morant said.

Human trafficking includes forced labor and sex trafficking, according to a U.S. Department of State fact sheet.

24.9 Million Trafficked Worldwide

More than 24.9 million people—adults and children—are subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States, according to a Department of State estimation.

DHS data shows that the average age of girls forced into the commercial sex trade is between 12 and 14. For boys, it’s 11 to 13.

California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New York are the top five states for sex trafficking in the United States, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.) during a hearing in Washington on Aug. 6, 2020. Toni Sandys/Pool/Getty Images

Authored by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the Countering Human Trafficking Act passed through the House on Dec. 14, 2022, after clearing the Senate in April.

“Human trafficking is horrific, and these crimes—which often go unreported—must be stopped,” Peters said. “This bipartisan bill will provide the Center for Countering Human Trafficking with tools, resources and authorities needed to disrupt human trafficking organizations and ensure our nation can protect victims of these terrible crimes.”

The CCHT is supported by 16 DHS offices and agencies. The organization’s mission is to advance counter-human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims, and enhance prevention efforts by aligning DHS’s capabilities and expertise, according to the DHS.

‘Ending this Inhumane, Immoral Practice’

In a Dec. 30, 2022, statement released by the White House, Biden recognized January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. President Barack Obama established the month in 2010.

“I call on businesses, civil society organizations, faith communities, families, and all Americans to recognize the vital role we play in the fight against human trafficking and observe this month with appropriate programs and activities aimed at preventing all forms of human trafficking,” Biden said.

“Around the world, human trafficking has stripped nearly 25 million people of their safety, dignity, and liberty—disproportionately affecting historically underserved and marginalized communities.

“During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we reaffirm our commitment to ending this inhumane and immoral practice in all its forms. And as we bring perpetrators to justice, we renew our pledge to help survivors recover and rebuild their lives.”

UPDATE: This article was amended after publication for brevity.