In an impassioned speech at the Clinton Global Initiative, President Obama announced his administration’s renewed focus on fighting human trafficking through the enactment of several initiatives.
The president lent urgency to the issue, exclaiming that “our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it.” He went on to stress the importance of using the term “modern slavery” when addressing human trafficking, because no matter its age, gender, or form, trafficking is nothing less than slavery.
The Obama Administration’s new anti-trafficking initiatives include:
- Executive order strengthening protections in federal contracts
- Tools and training for federal prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and immigration judges to identify and assist trafficking victims
- Increased funding for victims of human trafficking
- Development of domestic human trafficking assessment to track trends within the United States
- Creation of Global Business Coalition Against Trafficking
- Streamlining of T-Visa procedures
- Creation of anti- trafficking campaigns and educational tools aimed at tourists, consumers, and college students
LIRS supports Obama’s decision to strengthen federal anti-trafficking work, and we know that churches and other parts of society must also step up and show equal commitment. That is why we have piloted a new campaign called End Human Trafficking Now, though also LIRS confronts trafficking by providing vital social services through our network of local organizations, and through our advocacy work. Visit our website to learn more about the issue and LIRS’s involvement, and keep the pressure on our elected officials to continue to make the fight against modern-day slavery a political priority!
Image Credit: Executive Office of the President of the United States