U.S. Government Response

Department of State (DOS) (www.state.gov) In February 2002, President Bush established an Interagency Task Force to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons chaired by the Secretary of State. Task Force members are represented by the heads of various federal agencies including the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Labor, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons www.state.gov/g/tip//supports activities of the Task Force and coordinates the implementation of anti-trafficking efforts worldwide. The office is also charged with producing the annual Trafficking in Persons Report www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/ that describes international and U.S. efforts to combat trafficking in persons.

Trafficking in Persons Report 2007 http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2006 http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2006/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2005 http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2004 www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2004/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2003 www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2003/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2002 www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2002/

Trafficking in Persons Report 2001 www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2001/

Department of Justice (DOJ) (www.usdoj.gov) The Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/index.html has the primary enforcement responsibility for the involuntary servitude and peonage statutes. It works closely with the FBI www.fbi.gov, U.S. Attorneys Offices www.usdoj.gov/usao/offices/index.html, and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/index.html to investigate and prosecute cases of trafficking in persons and worker exploitation.

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/tip.htm offers victim support, protection services, prosecutorial and law enforcement strategies, and education resources generally. OVC also administers trafficking grants and provides technical assistance to service providers working with victims of trafficking.

The Office on Violence Against Women www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/trafficking_info.htm (VAWO) handles the DOJ's legal and policy issues regarding violence against women, provides national and international leadership, and offers grants and technical assistance to address issues of violence against women, including trafficking.

The National Institute of Justice International Center www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/international/welcome.html (NIJ-IC) supports research and exchange of information by offering grants for academic research on international trafficking activities that include a diverse mix of research, demonstration, collaboration and training and technical assistance programs focusing on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the Americas, the social consequences of sex trafficking, human smuggling in China, and trafficking in women from Ukraine.

Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Fact Sheet www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/tpwetf.htm

Information for Victims of Trafficking Brochure www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/victimsbrochure.pdf

The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) (www.immigration.gov) handles the adjudication of continued presence requests, T and U visa applications, and other immigration benefits and services. It also maintains a web site that includes information on trafficking laws and regulations, manuals, guidance, and immigration forms and applications. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement www.bice.immigration.gov/graphics/index.htm (ICE) is responsible for immigration and customs investigations that includes the jurisdiction to investigate trafficking cases.

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) (www.dhhs.gov) The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is authorized to provide certification and eligibility letters to victims of severe forms of trafficking, which enables them to access benefits and services comparable to refugees. ORR also provides grants to a wide range of entities across the U.S. to offer direct assistance to certified victims of trafficking, as well as carry out community outreach and public education on trafficking.

Department of Labor (DOL) (www.dol.gov) The Employment and Training Administration www.doleta.gov/ (ETA) issued a guidance letter http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/pdf/tegl19-01.pdf to its field offices to provide information on the TVPA and guidance on how the One-Stop delivery system can offer assistance to trafficking victims.

The Wage and Hour Division www.dol.gov/esa/whd/ is responsible for enforcing the Fair Labor Standards Act and other labor laws. It is illegal for an employer to intimidate, threaten, fire, or in any other manner discriminate against a worker for filing a complaint.