Human trafficking remains a troubling issue plaguing the nation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering data highlighting the crackdown in the crime, including 2,360 arrests and $486 million seized in human trafficking and related activities.
In a news release, the DHS, citing data from the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) annual report, outlined its efforts during 2021 to crack down on human trafficking and its projects offering protection and assistance to victims of the crime.
“The courageous public servants of the Department of Homeland Security dedicate every day to supporting the victims of human trafficking, bringing traffickers to justice, and stopping this scourge wherever it persists,” DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement the department's news release.
Mayorkas noted in the DHS release that the CCHT continues to be a key ally in the fight against human trafficking, including the department’s offices and departments that are waging the battle against forced labor and sex trafficking.
Citing the report, the DHS news release noted there was a 35% increase in arrests for human trafficking, from 1,746 in fiscal year 2020 to 2,360 in fiscal year 2021, and the $485 million in seized shipments connected to forced labor was a record.
According to the DHS release, during the fiscal year, which stated Oct. 1, 2020 and concluded Sept. 30, 2021, DHS offered resources that could prove beneficial for the victims and witnesses of human trafficking.
