The White House • April 12, 2018
Human sex
trafficking is an epidemic. According to the International
Labor Organization, there may be nearly 25 million victims of forced labor
across the world. That plight isn’t confined to developing countries: Since
2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received reports of 22,191 sex
trafficking cases in the United States.
The Trump
Administration is taking the fight to human traffickers. Shortly
after taking office, President Trump signed Executive Order 13773, “Enforcing
Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing
International Trafficking,” to boost the government’s response. Last month,
Ivanka Trump led a bipartisan roundtable at the White House to discuss pending
legislation.
Yesterday,
President Trump took further action. The President signed the Allow
States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), which
gives both law enforcement officials and victims new tools to fight sex
trafficking. Among these tools, FOSTA makes it easier to seek legal action
against any websites that enable these crimes.