Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) spoke out against the problem of child trafficking, particularly at the southern border. Scott accused President Joe Biden of not doing enough to prevent this crisis in a recent tweet from July 17.
“Children are being trafficked across our southern border while the president does nothing," Scott tweeted July 17. "We need new leadership to secure our border and end this crisis.” Scott tweeted a graphic that said, "Sixty percent of children crossing the border are trafficked."
The Heritage Foundation reported that human trafficking arrests have increased by 50%, and convictions have surged by 80% since fiscal year 2022. The report also highlighted a concerning trend of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) entering the U.S., estimating approximately 12,000 UACs per month in 2023.
More than half of these vulnerable children are intercepted by cartels and subjected to exploitation in child pornography or drug trafficking activities. The article suggests that the current border policies and standards have led to more children falling into the hands of cartels and unknown individuals, with many being sent to live with "family members" they have never met before.
According to Federal Newswire, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) said that 85,000 unaccompanied minors who entered the U.S. via the southern border have disappeared.
“I have also heard some of my colleagues on the Left say that the global sex trafficking of children is a Q-Anon conspiracy," Hunt told Federal Newswire. "What is happening is grotesque, it is wrong, and if we can’t protect our children… then we absolutely have no future.”
According to the New York Post, the newly released movie “Sound of Freedom,” a true story about Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent fighting against child trafficking, has continually been labeled as Q-Anon. The Post referenced a Variety opinion piece written by Owen Gleiberman, which said the film is “a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”
According to Variety, Owen Gleiberman said that “Sound of Freedom” informs viewers that human trafficking is “the fastest-growing international criminal network the world has ever seen. A closing title states — accurately — that there are more people enslaved now, by sex trafficking, than there were when slavery was legal. And the nightmare lived by captured children is unspeakable, unimaginable… and all too real. Let’s be clear: This matters more than the cocaine or opioids industry.”
