A Scourge Against Humanity: Addressing Human Trafficking at Mass Gatherings

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

You ready? The Committee on Homeland Security Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare the committee in recess at any point. Without objection, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Luttrell, as will be sitting on this panel. Discussion, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Mackenzie, the gentleman from California, Mr. Correa, gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green, are permitted to sit on the dais and ask the witnesses questions. Purpose of today's hearing is to assess the threat of and efforts to combat human trafficking ahead of major events that will be held in the United States, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will begin in June, so we have a very short timeframe to get our act together, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, along with the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. I recognize myself for an opening statement. This is the third hearing of the bipartisan Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States, task force that provides us a unique opportunity to evaluate the range of threats facing upcoming mass gathering events, most importantly, as I stated, FIFA World Cup, America's 250th anniversary. Over the past several months, we've examined historic security incidents at major events, engaged with federal law enforcement on emerging threats, such as malicious drone activities, which are one of the biggest threats. We've held in-depth discussions with security leadership from FIFA and the Olympics. These discussions have informed our work to provide legislative solutions to protect these events and ensure that they showcase American leadership. In fact, the legislation this task force was working on to counter adversarial drones at these events recently passed in the House National Defense Authorization, which were very pleased to see. I want to thank the White House for working with us to get that language in there and passed into law. When we first established this, Ranking Member Pou and I agreed that that human trafficking associated with these events would be among the various challenges that need to be addressed. This is an issue that's near and dear to my heart. I know it's near and dear to the ranking member's heart. It's one that's a very tragic story that we've seen upfront, close, and personal, especially with Miss Courtney Litvak, who I have have had the honor to be associated with and and from her family to at work getting her appointed to the White House Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, a person who experienced grave danger and abuse at the hands of these traffickers. And I know she has her personal story to tell, but I was so glad that God blessed us and saved her life and brought her home. Millions of people, though, will be subjected to forced labor and sexual exploitation. They are every day. As we prepare to host the largest international sporting event in history, it's essential that law enforcement, advocacy groups, industry partners, and the federal government work together to disrupt trafficking operations to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. There are about an estimated 27.6 million people being trafficked worldwide. That's an astounding number: 77% in forced labor, 23% in sex trafficking, and men and boys account for 57% of victims, women and girls for 43%. It occurs every day in the United States and across the globe. This crime remains hidden to a large extent. The experiences of survivors are not told as often as they should. Their courage in sharing their stories, like Ms. Litvak, often have helped law enforcement learn how to recognize signs of exploitation, internet intercept criminal networks, and rescue victims. I've been long committed to this cause. We call it human slavery. Back in 2017, I was proud to cosponsor or I'm sorry, to sponsor a bill which became law, and that was the congressional authorization of DHS's Blue Campaign. This legislation has enabled the Department of Homeland Security to properly coordinate anti-human trafficking activities and serve as a resource to state and local law enforcement to end human trafficking. I don't think we're anywhere near ending human trafficking, though, unfortunately. In 2020, I led legislation requiring the U.S. Department of State to track and report when and where traffickers applied for U.S. visas, and we denied those visas. This bill extended the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking I talked about through 2025. We'll have to reauthorize that to ensure survivors have a platform on that council to advise the President's Interagency Task Force on policies to combat trafficking. As I mentioned, we're delighted to have Courtney Litvak here, and all of you, between the sheriff and the Hotel and Motel Association. We rely on law enforcement to enforce justice, put a stop on on these horrible crimes being committed. Training and coordination must extend beyond law enforcement to include, as we have here today, hotel staff, organizers, transportation. It goes into a lot of different areas. And I can go on and on with this, but at the end of the day, I think this is an important hearing to address a very horrible crime, a scourge that's around the world, but we don't we obviously seeing it in the United States is very difficult. I anticipate with these World Cup events coming up, just like we've seen with Super Bowl games, and I think we'll be talking about the Houston one in particular. It is one of the as a federal, former federal prosecutor, chairman of this committee, former, it's one of the most horrific things I've seen in my lifetime. I want to do everything we can, Miss Pou, in this task force to try to ensure these games are safely conducted with as little of this criminal activity as as possible. So, with that, I now recognize the ranking member, gentlelady from New Jersey, Ms. Pou, for her opening statement.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Thank you. Thank you so very much, Mr. Chairman, and good afternoon to everyone. Mr. Chairman, I am glad to be leading our bipartisan task force with you today on such an important topic. Before I start, I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims and families of the horrible shooting at Brown University and those in Australia this past weekend. So let me let me just begin by saying, as as you've just expressed, human trafficking often is overlooked or ignored in the United States. Chairman McCaul, I know that you have worked to combat trafficking, particularly through your leadership in authorizing, as you've just mentioned, the Blue Campaign at the Department of Homeland Security, which have saved countless lives. Bringing attention and resources to combat human trafficking has been a longtime priority for me as well. In the New Jersey State Legislature, I led legislation that broadened the definition of trafficking, increasing penalties for perpetrators, and provided support for victims. We must do everything possible to prevent individuals from being trafficked and fully prosecute those who commit trafficking crimes. Earlier this year, I co-led bipartisan legislation with Congressman Guest that strengthens our ability to stop drug and human trafficking abroad. The House passed that measure, and now we just simply need the Senate to act. Today's hearing is another opportunity to discuss that and other policies that we can implement to prevent trafficking at some of the largest events in our nation's history. In the coming years, we will welcome we will welcome people from all around the world for the World Cup, and that's just next year. I said in the coming years, but it's here before we know it. It'll certainly be here in front of us, welcoming everyone from around the world for the World Cup and the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. This is particularly exciting for me, as our district in northern New Jersey will host the World Cup final. The threat environment for human trafficking will become more and more complex. There will be criminals who traffic and enslave laborers, and criminals will sell cheap merchandise made using slave labor from foreign countries. World Cup matches will be spread around and across 3 different countries, and our country will host will host games in 11 different cities. That means that people will be traveling and constantly moving, giving traffickers cover for their illegal and sick behavior. Now is the time to be proactive. We have to make sure that our federal, state, and local partners are trained in how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and forced labor trafficking and are equipped with the resources needed to halt these threats. I am concerned that personnel that personnel at DHS, including at the Center for Countering Human Trafficking and Homeland Security Investigations, are being reassigned to other priorities outside of human trafficking and the child sexual exploitation investigations. As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to to raise public awareness on human trafficking, and this hearing is a good step in that direction. Mr. Chairman, I certainly thank you for doing this. I look forward to the hearing, to hearing from our witnesses, who really have been on the frontline on all of this. So thank you to each and every one of you for participating, for being a part of this, and for sharing your stories. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

I thank the ranking member. Other members are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. Without objection, I want to submit this letter from Airlines for America discussing their participation with the DHS Blue Campaign and preparations for the World Cup. Without objection, so ordered. We're pleased to have a distinguished panel of witnesses before us here today to discuss this important and sensitive topic, and I ask that our witnesses please rise and raise their right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the Committee on Homeland Security of the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Thank you. Please be seated. Let the record reflect the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. And now I'd like to formally introduce our witnesses. First, Mr. Jonathan Thompson is the executive director and chief executive officer of the National Sheriffs' Association, an organization that represents the interests of over 3,000 sheriffs in the United States and their deputies. Ms. Courtney Litvak is the Director of Survivor Leader Initiatives for No Trafficking Zone, a nonprofit dedicated to disrupting and dismantling human trafficking by advocating for the creation of no-trafficking zones that implement high-risk penalties and crimes for predators that prey on children and adults. Ms. Litvak, as I mentioned, is a survivor of human trafficking, and her advocacy has truly been extraordinary and incredible. Ms. Yasmin Vafa is the co-founder and executive director of Rights4Girls. Her advocacy focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and systematic violence. Rights4Girls has driven key legislative reforms at all levels and raised national awareness around the criminalization and survivors of sexual violence. Ms. Eliza McCoy is the Vice President of Programs and Impact at the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation. In her role, she works to bolster and expand AHLA's Foundation's programs to broaden impact, including No Room for Trafficking initiative. Ms. Meagan Lundstrom is the Chief Executive Officer of Polaris, a role in which she leads national strategy operations and partnerships that integrate advocacy, research, and technology to prevent and disrupt trafficking. Her leadership has reinforced Polaris's role as a collaborative, survivor-led thought partner advancing intelligence, coordination, and field stewardship. I want to thank all of you for being here today, and with that, I recognize Mr. Thompson for 5 minutes to summarize his opening statement.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Pou. I want to thank you both for leading this really important task force, and I'm so honored to be here. And I'm also happy to see that this is this is a bipartisan approach, because we do we do need that. Today I want to address a critical and often-hidden danger that lurks amid the fun and excitement of some of our mass gatherings: human trafficking. These events, whether concerts, festivals, sporting events, they draw millions together in celebration, but unfortunately, they create huge vulnerabilities exploited by traffickers. In the next few minutes, we'll explore the risks, real-world examples, prevention strategies, and how each of us can play a role in safeguarding lives. Mass gatherings amplify trafficking risks due to their scale, chaos, and quite honestly, the unknowns. Crowds provide noisy cover for predators to spot, groom, and steal victims—often, often too often vulnerable youth, runaways, or those seeking temporary work. High-traffic venues like stadiums, fairgrounds, and urban festivals see spikes in opportunities—in opportunistic crimes, excuse me. Traffickers are using the hustle and the bustle and distraction to drug drinks with ketamine, Valium, GHB, and other agents, to coerce individuals into isolated areas, or transport victims across state lines under the guise of even event staffing. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security notes that events like the Super Bowl, FIFA games, Summer Olympics, and big concerts have historically correlated with increased trafficking reports, with the sick criminals blending into the throng to sell victims for sex or forced labor. Consider that during large-scale events, hotline calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline surge by up to 20 or even 30% in host cities. Victims are frequently lured and promised VIP access, free tickets, or jobs, only to face coercion through debt, bondage, threats, or violence. Domestically, post-event investigations reveal that hotel rooms turned into brothels and parking lots as handover points. These are not isolated incidents. These are patterns. They are enabled by transient populations and lax oversight. Prevention demands a multilayered approach. Event organizers must train staff to See Something, Say Something protocols, spotting the signs like branded tattoos, malnourished individuals, avoiding eye contact, or groups with mismatched ages and behaviors. Perhaps with law enforcement like the Blue Campaign, we can provide toolkits for secure ticketing, well-lit perimeters, and victim-centered reporting applications. Technology aid, too. Facial recognition at entry points and AI-monitored CCTV can flag anomalies without infringing privacy. Governments should mandate anti-trafficking clauses in event permits, while NGOs and law enforcement deploy mobile response teams. On a different note, but similar, the sheriffs want to thank the committee and the House for including language in the NDAA that allows us, with proper training and guardrails, to mitigate drones at mass gatherings. Another safety initiative welcomed, very welcomed. But change starts with us. I tell people, you see a young person looking lost or or controlled, approach safely and alert authorities via 1-888-373-7888. Let me repeat that: 888-373-7888. We should also work to gain accountability and good working relationships from the venues. All of us can help transport mass gatherings from Serengeti-like hunting grounds into safe, fun events, as they're intended. Mr. Chairman, I want to veer off-topic for just one minute, if I may, and let the committee know that the Sheriffs' Association's president, Sheriff Chris West of Canadian County, Oklahoma, and I have been reviewing the drug boat missile strikes recently. It seems to us that anytime you keep drugs like cocaine and fentanyl from reaching American shores, then kinetic action is saving American lives. And there is a connection. There is a connection to human trafficking. The cartels own it, they oversee it, they operate it, and they are relentless, relentless in how they approach things. Thank you for your interest. We appreciate this. It is a growing problem, but we must focus on this. And I cannot tell you how much the sheriffs appreciate your collective efforts. Thank you very much.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I now recognize Ms. Litvak for 5 minutes to summarize her opening statement.

Courtney LitvakSPEAKER_08

Thank you to the members of this critical task force, and primarily to Chairman McCaul, who is a dear ally of mine for many years, and also to Ranking Member Poe. My name is Courtney Litvak, and I am honored to be here today to testify about the scourge against humanity, particularly addressing human trafficking at mass gatherings. I am representing the No Trafficking Zone and all of the victims and survivors just like me. I pray my testimony will help you understand how and why money, power, control, and lack of truth of this sophisticated crime are imposing destruction and brokenness throughout our nation. The annual global profits from forced labor and forced sexual exploitation have risen to over an estimated $236 billion. Today, I will highlight some of the devastating effects human trafficking has on its millions of victims and their families, as well as the human heart and soul. I also want to focus on the contributing factors and intersections of increased human trafficking during mass gatherings and events, including, but not limited to, FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics. NTZ is a nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to prevent, combat, and eradicate human trafficking by creating no-trafficking zones throughout the world. This takes survivor-led solutions, unity and mobilization, trauma-informed training, intelligence-gathering, legislation, and victim-centered education. No Trafficking Zone dismantles human trafficking by breaking it down into identifiable markets, building and informing operational models and task forces that implement tangible real-world solutions. One of those major markets sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and sex and labor trafficking. In 2020, the NTZ Game Over initiative was launched at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, the busiest stadium and sports entertainment complex in America, hosting more than 6 million visitors annually. NRG Park became the first certified No Trafficking Zone sports and entertainment venue in the world. Today, some of NRG Park initiatives with No Trafficking include our updated survivor-led signage that was recently unveiled throughout the venue in both English and Spanish. This NTZ Game Over initiative model turns a stadium and massive event venue from a passive location into an active deterrence and response versus reactive environment to prevent and combat human trafficking in all of its forms. NTZ is also training other states and sports stadiums to become no-trafficking zones. Alongside our national-led Survivor Sports Committee, No Trafficking Zone is honored to partner and work closely with our incredible impact partners, such as HIDTA, Harris County Sheriff's Office, HSI, DEA, National Child ID, and many more. No Trafficking Zone does not operate in isolation. We help build and support multi-agency task forces that bring local, state, and federal partners to dismantle organized crime and transnational networks. NTZ serves as the human trafficking coordinator for HIDTA, a high-intensity drug trafficking area task force that integrates local, state, federal law enforcement agencies. Through the Game Over initiative, NTZ works directly with HIDTA intelligence analysts that track trafficking trends surrounding major gaming events. An example, earlier this month, our analysts tracked over 600 live illicit sex advertisements during a local NFL game. National hotline data and law enforcement reporting consistently show increased in forced labor procurement and sex trafficking activity surrounding major sporting events and mass gatherings. The NTZ Game Over initiative has received national recognition, including earlier this year, the NFL Alumni Association and Pro Football Hall of Fame bestowed to our unwavering CEO, Jacquelyn Aluotto. NTZ also serves as the FIFA Human Rights Committee—on that committee in Houston, Texas, where we are actively training law enforcement and partners. Now, survivor leadership is so important. It is embedded in every single NTZ model. Survivors like myself understand grooming, coercion, recruitment, and movement patterns better than anyone else and than traditional security models can identify. I myself went from being sex trafficked by a Romeo and Gorilla pimp during the 2017 Super Bowl in NRG Park's parking lot and surrounding hotels to working with NTZ and the Harris County Task Force at NRG Park to combat the very crime that once ensnared me. One heartbreaking incident I will never forget occurred just hours after I physically ran for my life following nearly 3 years of being trafficked. I was reunited with my family. As surreal as that was, I remember seeing my dad running towards me in the airport terminal only for him to run right past me. He did not recognize his own daughter. I was so severely emaciated and badly injured that I was truly unrecognizable. And less than 2 weeks later, I met one of the most remarkable leaders and fathers who had been searching for me and praying for my safe return home, Congressman Michael McCaul. I went from being one of his constituents to being groomed and sex trafficked from my own high school in his district. I will never forget Congressman McCaul and my angel, Larissa, coming to check on me, sitting with me, talking with me, and listening for hours at my childhood church. He can attest to both my profound physical and psychological scars, but I was alive and I was finally home. I remember wondering if it was real. Could I truly be here telling the congressman about what I had just escaped from, narrowly surviving? That is how immensely blessed I feel to be sitting here before you all today. I am blessed. I am a child of God. I am a miracle. I escaped, but so many others have not, like all of the experts here sitting alongside me know, and many have lost their lives to this evil. At times, the enemy tries to burden me with survivor's guilt, but God reminds me to look the devil in the face and declare, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is being done now, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20, my life verse. I stand before you today not bearing the outward appearance of the horrors I endured, as many survivors do not, but because of the blood of Jesus, I am reborn, no longer made in my trafficker's image, but in His. This is the true nature of the battle we face if we hope to come close to eradicating human trafficking in our nation and world. As scripture reminds us, be strong in the Lord, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil. Therefore, just as God saved and spoke to me, I urge you all, put on the full armor of God. Do not be afraid. Victims need to know that they are not alone, just as I did and was reminded of that. We all fall short of His glory. I know I do, but His grace and mercy are sufficient. Therefore, human trafficking at large in mass gatherings and events is not inevitable. It is preventable and combatable. I am proof of this. When we treat sports and entertainment venues as trafficking markets, build an informed task force, collaborate with federal law enforcement, integrate intelligence, and center survivor leadership, we move from awareness to action and from reaction to prevention. Let us all work together to hold stakeholders accountable in order to make FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics and all mass gatherings no-trafficking zones. Thank you all for letting me share my heart with you and for your leadership and your commitment to addressing what truly is a scourge against humanity. Thank you.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, Courtney. As an eyewitness to the scars of your survivorship, I just—I can't tell you how proud I am of who you've become. I next recognize Ms. Vafa for 5 minutes to summarize her opening statement.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Thank you, Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Pou, and members of the task force for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Yasmin Vafa. I'm the executive director of Rights4Girls, a national organization dedicated to ending violence against young women and girls. We work alongside survivors to strengthen laws, advance research, train judges and systems professionals, and shift the culture that enables exploitation. This hearing could not be more timely. In the coming years, the U.S. will host some of the world's largest sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics. These events bring complex security challenges, and among them, human trafficking must be a chief concern. Sex trafficking exists today in every community—rural, suburban, tribal, and urban. Vulnerable people, primarily women and children, are bought and sold with near total impunity. A recent New York Times investigation exposed the brutal reality on Los Angeles's Figueroa Street, where child sex trafficking persists openly. Girls like Ana, who was first trafficked at 13 alongside her 11-year-old sister. Today, at 19, missing her front teeth and living with an ostomy bag, Ana is still forced to meet a daily quota or face violent punishment. Her story reflects the trauma endured by countless women and girls in the sex trade. The data is stark. Over 90% of women report being shot, raped, strangled, or beaten, often by sex buyers. They face a mortality rate 200 times higher than the general population. And 68% suffer PTSD at levels comparable to combat veterans. These harms predate and outlast any special event, but when you add an influx of tourists, anonymity, and large numbers of men with disposable income, the risk of trafficking intensifies. Major events create a perfect storm: increased hotel bookings, rentals, rideshares, and festivities, along with the surge in the commercial sex market. While sex buying happens every day, large events concentrate demand, making exploitation easier and more profitable. History bears this out. During one Final Four weekend in Minneapolis, law enforcement arrested 47 men for felony solicitation of a child, 11 for trafficking, and recovered 28 victims, including one child. During an MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland, 49 people were arrested, including 28 men seeking sex with children. And before Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, 26 traffickers and 34 men attempting to buy sex with children were arrested, and several children recovered. The pattern is unmistakable. Where demand spikes, traffickers follow. Recognizing this, Rights4Girls launched our Sex Buying Isn't a Game national billboard campaign in eight states hosting the NCAA March Madness and MLB All-Star Games. The campaign exposes the often invisible role of sex buyers in fueling trafficking, and seeks to disrupt demand. During this year's Final Four in San Antonio, while our campaign was running, eight trafficking victims were recovered, underscoring the need for proactive deterrence. The sex trade is a multibillion-dollar industry funded entirely by buyers. Without buyers, there is no business. Our recent report, Buyers Unmasked, analyzed hundreds of posts from online hobby boards, essentially Yelp pages for prostitution, and revealed a culture of dehumanization and entitlement that traffickers rely on. One survivor told us she spent six months at age 16 telling every buyer she was being trafficked against her will. Not one of them helped her. Every man prioritized his own protection or the money he'd paid. This is the norm, not the exception. As one buyer in our report stated, The goal is: find them, eff them, forget them. This mindset is the invisible engine of trafficking at mass gatherings. If we're serious about preventing trafficking at major events, our policies must address the true driver of this harm: the demand created by sex buyers. To that end, we recommend: one, targeting the demand. Prioritize deterrence operations focused on buyers at large events as a form of trafficking prevention. Mandate all federally funded programs to reduce trafficking include demand-reduction tactics. Two, supporting survivors. Ensure all recovered victims, children and adults, are never criminalized and are immediately connected to comprehensive, trauma-informed services. Three, promoting accountability. Pass and enforce laws that hold all exploiters accountable, using buyer fines to fund services, mandating buyer accountability programs that shift mindsets, and enhancing penalties against those driving the trafficking market. This year, we worked with survivors to pass such laws in California and New Hampshire. When the stadium lights dim and fans pour onto the streets, no one should be treated as entertainment or sport. The evidence is clear. The solutions are known. What remains is our courage to act. Thank you.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Let me just comment as well as a former federal prosecutor. For too long, the victims were treated as the criminals and not the criminals. And I think we've changed that to a large extent. And thank you for offering that. We need to continue to raise that awareness. The chairman now recognizes Ms. McCoy for 5 minutes.

Eliza McCoySPEAKER_06

Good afternoon, Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Pou, and distinguished members of the task force. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the lodging industry's efforts to prevent human trafficking as we prepare for major events that will draw millions of international visitors to the United States. My name is Eliza McCoy, and I serve as Vice President of Programs and Impact at the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation, where I lead our human trafficking awareness and prevention initiatives. I'm proud to be here today with valuable partners from the National Sheriffs' Association, Rights4Girls, Polaris, and No Trafficking Zone, many of whom I've worked with previously. Before joining AHLA, I spent more than 15 years in law enforcement and nonprofit leadership, focused on public safety and child protection. As an investigator in a district attorney's office and later leading outreach, training, and prevention efforts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, I've seen the devastating realities of this crime up close. I've devoted my career to this issue and to helping survivors overcome their trauma. Now I have the privilege of working for an industry where preventing human trafficking is both a core value and a collective effort. With the United States set to host the FIFA World Cup, America250, the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, as well as other major events over the next few years, we face both a challenge and an opportunity. Large events often draw attention to human trafficking, but more importantly, they represent a critical moment to turn heightened awareness into long-term strategies that protect vulnerable people year-round, not just during major gatherings. We can show on the world stage how our actions are leading a human trafficking response and prevention, both nationwide and across the globe. In 2019, the lodging industry came together to launch No Room for Trafficking, a comprehensive initiative developed in partnership with our member companies, dedicated leaders, law enforcement partners, and expert organizations. For the last 5 years, this national initiative has translated that commitment into action with shared goals and standards aligned with best practices in the anti-trafficking field. Our mission is threefold: elevate awareness of human trafficking, educate lodging employees to identify and report it, and equip survivors with the support they need to thrive. A cornerstone of this initiative is a tailored training program developed by Marriott International in collaboration with expert NGOs, which we make available for use across the industry. And since 2020, this training has been completed more than 2.5 million times. It's provided at no cost to any hotel employee or interested individual and is offered in 34 different languages, ensuring that workers at every property can receive this important education from resorts to motels. Our message is clear. We are dedicated to the safety of our communities where we all work and live. To maximize the impact of these upcoming events and build lasting change, we recommend three key actions. First, support consistent standards for training and anti-trafficking policies, not just in the lodging industry, but across all sectors, ensuring no weak links in prevention efforts. The lodging industry's anti-trafficking commitment can model for other industries how collective action creates stronger safeguards and better outcomes. Second, support streamlined reporting processes that effectively leverage the resources of both law enforcement and survivor advocacy organizations. And third, invest more government and community resources in long-term solutions, including emergency housing for victims and specialized law enforcement units, to strengthen community readiness for years to come. With these improvements in place, the lodging industry can remain a strong and reliable partner in anti-trafficking efforts nationwide. Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Pou, and members of the task force, thank you for your leadership and for this opportunity. The American lodging industry is fully committed to continuing to lead in the effort to stop human trafficking. I'm proud to represent an industry that confronts this difficult issue head-on with resolve and compassion. The lodging industry continues at the ready to work hand-in-hand with this task force, DHS, DOJ, local law enforcement, and NGOs to ensure these milestone events are remembered for sportsmanship and national unity. As we approach the kickoff of these major events, we stand united with law enforcement, survivor support organizations, and policymakers to protect the vulnerable and demonstrate U.S. leadership in preventing human trafficking on a global stage. We are doing our part to end trafficking for good and stand at the ready to help our communities meet the moment. Thank you.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, Ms. McCoy. And I'll recognize Ms. Lundstrom for 5 minutes, who also is a victim of human trafficking, for your opening statement.

Meagan LundstromSPEAKER_07

Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Pou, and members of the task force, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My testimony is grounded in my own lived experience as a survivor, data and intelligence, and what our systems teach us when we are willing to listen. As the United States prepares to host major global events—the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, and America250—the question before us is not whether trafficking occurs, because it already does. The question is whether our response reduces harm and ends cycles of abuse, or if we're going to repeat past mistakes. You see, we've seen this before. After Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, I analyzed publicly available arrest and booking data from the operations around the event. Publicly, the response was described as a success: more than 65 federal, state, and local agencies, 169 arrests, dramatic headlines, and stories of rescue. But the data told a different story. Half of the arrests were vulnerable and victimized women, while fewer than 10% were traffickers. Fourteen of the women were arrested even when indicators of victimization were present in their booking records. Victims were identified and still taken into custody, some alongside the very traffickers exploiting them. Enforcement focused heavily on individuals selling sex, while buyers and traffickers, almost entirely men, were far less likely to face serious or lasting consequences, including the startling reality that one-third of the men arrested on trafficking charges were released on their own recognizance within days. In other words, we knew who the victims were and who their perpetrators were, and we didn't treat them as such. Since 2019, Georgia has only seen a total of four federally prosecuted human trafficking cases involving adult sex trafficking victims, despite the scale of enforcement activity around that single major event. Of those four cases, two were dismissed, one got 57 months, and one was still pending at the time of this analysis. Of the cases that were dismissed, one of those traffickers was arrested again on new trafficking charges and at that time finally got 130 months sentenced. This teaches us an essential lesson: arrest numbers alone are not a measure of success in anti-trafficking efforts, nor are they an efficient use of federal or state funding and resources in and of themselves. History only repeats itself when institutions fail to learn, and the good news is we've learned a lot. Historically, our focus at major events has been entirely on sex trafficking. That narrow lens has left a blind spot: labor trafficking. Major events require rapid temporary workforce expansion: construction and teardown, hospitality, sanitation, transportation, security. These jobs are often filled through layers of subcontractors and labor brokers that obscure responsibility and limit oversight, creating ideal conditions for exploitation: wage theft, document confiscation, debt bondage, and threats of retaliation. Despite this known risk, one that the International Labour Organization estimates is five times more prevalent than sex trafficking, the U.S. has no national data on labor trafficking indicators tied to major events. That gap does not reflect a lack of prevalence; it reflects a missed opportunity to identify victims and hold traffickers accountable. This is where the Department of Homeland Security can play a decisive role. Labor trafficking is a crime of fraud and coercion. It undermines lawful labor markets and allows bad actors to profit with minimal risk. When DHS enforcement prioritizes identifying traffickers rather than defaulting to arrest-based responses toward exploited workers, it improves intelligence, strengthens cases, and restores system integrity. The lesson from Atlanta is clear: accountability is strongest when enforcement is led by data and intelligence, and investigations are driven by outcomes rather than headlines. Anti-trafficking efforts must extend beyond the moment and concept of a rescue. Criminal records remain one of the greatest barriers to survivor stability, yet many survivors, especially of labor trafficking, are excluded from relief. At the federal level, there is no clear mechanism to vacate convictions tied to one's trafficking. As Congress prepares for World Cup and other global events, this is the moment to apply what we already know. Large events test our systems. They reveal whether we choose learning over repetition, accountability over optics, and justice over myth. Polaris stands ready to support Congress and federal agencies in doing exactly that. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, Ms. Lundstrom. I now recognize myself for five minutes of questions. When I authorized the Blue Campaign into law, it was designed to work with law enforcement, to partner with them, but also industry stakeholders like the hotel-motel association that was being exploited in itself by these traffickers, to really help combat the scourge of human trafficking. Ms. McCoy, can you give us an update on your say, your relationship with the Blue Campaign, and how well is it working today?

Eliza McCoySPEAKER_06

Thank you. Yes, I'm happy to. We are strong partners with the DHS Blue Campaign. We meet regularly to align our tactics and strategies, and training, and community outreach, and awareness-raising. And we certainly think they can continue to benefit our ongoing support, particularly as they are making great strides in integrating survivor perspective and lived experience in the work that they do, and we are happy to stand alongside them in those efforts.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

That's excellent. I'd like to talk about over the last 4 to 5 years, we've had almost 500,000 unaccompanied children that came into this country, primarily at the hands of drug cartels, sex traffickers. It's one of the—was one of the largest human trafficking events in the United States, really, of our lifetime. Of those 500,000 children, more than 90,000 were sent to sponsors or who were unvetted, essentially unvetted sponsors, or to homes where no home study was conducted. In other words, and I saw this, where 10 children would go to one house as a sponsor of the 10 children, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what's going on here. It was a perfect storm for child sex trafficking. And now, unfortunately, it is occurring. Mr. Thompson, I think in your role, you're best equipped to give us a sort of a prognosis of this problem. And how do you see their vulnerability going into these FIFA World Cup games and the Olympics, as well? And how can we protect them?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Mr. Chairman, um, you, you've, you've taped, you've bookended the, the situation very well. We believe it is about 400,000. Uh, we don't know, let's be honest. Uh, the records that were developed and, and, and used from all indications and all reports and briefings I've received from, from the government, uh, are deeply disturbing. And our inability to, to find and assure this, this Congress and the nation's public that these individuals are not, i.e., uh, dead, are being trafficked in one way, shape, or form, including sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and others And third thing that is deeply, deeply troubling is that the scale of this, if you did simple math, assuming the 400,000 number is accurate, divide it simply by the number of counties in this country, 3,087 or 88, and you come up with a pretty, pretty damning number. What I can tell you that we're looking at with the administration is how do we, how do we get our arms around the data? Number one, uh, that's a challenge for them. And number two, then what do you do with the data from a targeting package perspective? Where does it go and how is it followed up upon? And those 2 steps alone are incredibly labor and financially incentive. They're costly, takes time. I wish I could tell you that the, the prospect is, is bright. I think there are some incredibly talented people at DHS. I think there are some incredibly talented people at our state law enforcement agencies and our local agencies that are, that are working this. But the numbers are staggering, absolutely staggering.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

They are staggering. And I, I, look, I want to work with you to make sure we get the data to law enforcement. We know we've documented these unaccompanied children.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

We have.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

We know where they went. We don't know where they are, some of them, today, but we do know that they are ripe for being exploited for trafficking purposes, and it's our obligation to protect them from these traffickers. So I look forward to working with you and law enforcement on this. Lastly, Ms. Litvak, you worked—your organization worked with the same stadium that hosted the Super Bowl back in 2017 into a no trafficking zone. Houston is going is going to host the FIFA World Cup next year. Can you Can you tell us a little bit about not only the your organization, but how these trafficking organizations operate? I know that 750 individuals were indicted and prosecuted after that Super Bowl game. Can you tell us about how these organizations, these criminal enterprises work from the lowest level with the pimp and then the groomer to the highest level executive?

Courtney LitvakSPEAKER_08

Absolutely. Thank you, Chairman McCaul. I'm so blessed to work alongside the No Trafficking Zone because they're truly—we are truly a survivor-led and trauma-informed organization, and that's something that NRG Park has taken very seriously, is becoming the world's first certified no trafficking zone, working with their general manager, Hussein, and all of our incredible impact partners there. Primarily, really trauma-informed law enforcement is so important, because uninformed and, quite frankly, corrupt players in the anti-trafficking space even, or those who pose as doing good work, but they're really a part of the problem, we want to ensure we are encouraging those who are doing the work for the right reasons to continue to collaborate together, especially because traffickers are watching our efforts, and they're calculated. My traffickers specifically would study the laws, primarily when I was first targeted at my own high school as a minor, as a junior in high school. My traffickers waited, because they knew the law in Texas, that once you turn 18, there's a lot less that law enforcement can do to intervene. And this is an issue that, in Harris County alone, being one of the largest counties in the whole country, there's an average of over 200 runaway minors daily. Law enforcement are already so understaffed, and overworked, and underpaid. But once we understand the themes, the patterns, we study those patterns by bringing survivor leaders to the forefront. So my lived experience in NRG Park and in the surrounding hotels and motels, I was trafficked during the 2017 Super Bowl in February, where the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons came to our city. But where did I meet these illicit sex buyers? On the lower levels here, beginning in street and gang trafficking, what is one of the number one markets that is targeted to procure and to exploit already vulnerable individuals? It's actually hidden in plain sight. It's our sexually oriented businesses, specifically strip clubs. Houston is actually the strip club capital of the country, which many people may mistake states such as Nevada and California for. But when we work with our task force, and that's why I think it's so important to have a structure such as a task force to combat this issue, because these organized criminals work in networks. They are educated, they know the laws, they are experts at evading detection, but they're hidden in plain sight. Club owners and strip club general managers operate just the same as sex traffickers and human traffickers. So when you get to the more sophisticated levels of organized crime, not only do you have MS-13, cartel, all these horrible groups that are very prevalent in Texas, especially being a border state. And we have to be able to fill these gaps. But how do we address those? We talk with survivors, just like those who are on this panel right now, to hear what would have made a difference when we were being trafficked, but then to understand these aren't always just street-level criminals. There are what's known as corporate CEO traffickers. I was trafficked by both men and women. I was sold to both men and women. But these traffickers can be lawyers, as were some of mine, and they're businessmen, businesswomen who are well-spoken. And sadly, a lot of women are aiding these criminal networks. One, sometimes we know that people can go from being victimized to being forced to be bottoms, which is people who do recruiting for human traffickers. But there's so many other organized crime networks and criminal enterprises taking place, such as drug trafficking. But when you have corporate America involved, my traffickers were laundering the money that we were making from the strip clubs with corporate America businesses. This is something that we have to find more ways to track this crime, because data and mass underreporting is such a huge issue, but especially when victims like myself are under immense threat and pressure by those who will use violence. But force, fraud, and coercion are so important for us to tackle at all levels.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

And I think, as we talked about the victims being the criminals in this case, we shouldn't just go after the lowest level of these organizations. We need to go up to the very top, high level. And that's a shame. I know that the FBI is working on several sting operations that we can't discuss today. I wish them the best. And I know when Backpage was taken down by Congress and you were held captive, that had an immense impact on the traffickers. And as you told me, they were very, very upset about that, which is good, good news. With that, I apologize, I went way over my time, but I guess that's prerogative. I recognize our ranking member, Ms. Pou.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No problem with me. Thank

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

you.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Thank you so very much, Mr. Chairman. First of all, let me just say to Ms. Lundstrom and Ms. Litvak, thank you. Thank you so very much for joining us today and for sharing your very, very important work, but also, it takes an immense courage and empowerment to share your personal experiences and the obstacles that you have overcome. So thank you for sharing that. Really appreciate your testimony and the words and the kind of work that you're all doing now to make sure to address that. We've talked about this, right? And it's been mentioned all of the upcoming events like the World Cup, the Summer Olympics, the America250 will require significant labor to build the infrastructure needed to host mass matches and related festivals. In the past, we have seen labor trafficking among vulnerable individuals who perform temporary labor-intensive jobs such as venue constructions, janitorial services, groundskeeping, just to name a few. These operations are often outsourced to contract labor crews and individuals who can be susceptible to forced labor activities. So we cannot take our eyes off the enhanced risk of forced labor trafficking at these events. Ms. Lundstrom, what should, in your opinion, what should Congress be aware of when it comes to forced labor and labor trafficking violations, and how can we address the significant threat at mass gathering events?

Meagan LundstromSPEAKER_07

Thank you, Ranking Member Poe. I'm happy to answer that question briefly. I think there's 2 elements that are really important to be considering here. The first of which is, as I mentioned, there is no data around labor trafficking at events. And so if we are going to move forward with a strategy, we need to know what it actually looks like. We need to have a picture first. So I think prioritizing data and really understanding how major events impact and change local workforces is the first step there. And then the second piece is really thinking about those supply chains and the products that are being purchased and brought in as well, and making sure that those, those products are not coming into our country and not being sold for additional profits that have been made in other countries by exploited persons.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Right. Thank you. Thank you, and thank you for that for your thoughtful response to that. It's vital that the Department of Homeland Security and the Blue Campaign also focus on laborers and work to ensure that they know their rights as well. So that I think that's important. I hope that my colleagues will certainly join me in advocating for DHS to incorporate this issue in in the Blue Campaign. I also wanted to ask you, transportation is so very key to a lot of what we're talking about here. And as the most densely populated state in the entire country, New Jersey relies on its roads, bridges, and rails more than anyone else. During the World Cup, New Jersey will host eight matches, including the final, as I mentioned earlier. Over 1.2 million fans are expected to travel to our state to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event. And in my district specifically, the Secaucus Junction connects numerous New Jersey Transit rail lines and serves as an essential hub for fans traveling to MetLife Stadium to watch the matches. We know We know that criminals rely on transportation hub to traffic victims. I have been encouraged by efforts from the federal, state, local, and nonprofit stakeholders to increase awareness of how to recognize and stop human trafficking in and around places like the Secaucus Junction. Ms. Lundstrom, if you would also just share with with us, how do you How do criminals use transit hub like the Secaucus Junction to exploit victims, and how can we educate the public on how to recognize and report human trafficking in these settings?

Meagan LundstromSPEAKER_07

Happy to answer that question as well. Transportation is just one of the many means that traffickers use to bring victims to the place where they are sold, ultimately for that trafficker's profits. And that happens across all modes of transportation. So, again, there is this element of education for the general public to understand what trafficking looks like because it touches all of our lives every single day. And so, being aware of it and knowing where to go to reach out to report instances and also where to provide resources to victims, I think, is is very important when it comes to anti-trafficking work. And I know New Jersey has the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and they're doing wonderful work. I have a close friend and colleague who is a survivor leader there, Gina Cavallo, and I think New Jersey has set a wonderful example of what survivor-led anti-trafficking initiatives can really look like, thanks in large part to both you and the coalition.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Thank you. Thank you so very much. We certainly have worked really hard in New Jersey to try to make this a point of something that we absolutely have focused on, focused on, and have allowed for very, very important legislation to be passed and supported and signed into law. So I'm happy to have been a part of that during my tenure in the legislature. A real quick call, question for Ms. McCoy: I was listening to your testimony and learned or list- As I was listening to what you were saying, you were talking about the important elements that you provide for the members of all, everyone who is surrounded, connected, and employed through the facilities, the hotel/motel enterprises. If, part of my legislation that I spoke about earlier in New Jersey, certainly, and talked about the training and identification, right? And we want to make sure that we are identifying these individuals as victims and not someone who is looking to procure these types of services and be be arrested and and thrown into jail. The fact that some of them have not only been identified as anything other, something other than a victim, but been put in the very same vehicle just transporting them into the police department with their perpetrator, as you've mentioned earlier, Ms. Lundstrom. But back to Ms. McCoy, if you would, please, one of the things that was truly important to me was making sure that we provided and almost required that training be provided to each and every one of those employees so that they could easily and clearly identify and make a distinction who are really being victimized, right, and and exploited, and becoming that victim, and who may very well be doing a different, doing it for different- Can you share with us a little bit, be more specific with respect to the type of training that you're talking about to easily identify? How do you do that for your employees? And I'm talking about housekeepers. I'm talking about door opera- elevator operators, all kinds, from the cook right on through the super manager overseeing every the facility. Thank you.

Eliza McCoySPEAKER_06

Thank you for the question. Yes, anti-human trafficking training that we support, again, free for any industry employee, but also anyone in our communities that would like to take it, does focus on all forms of human trafficking, and provides a number of indicators that, in some combination, may indicate suspected human trafficking, and directs employees exactly how to report that information, both to their supervisors on property, as well as the National Human Trafficking Hotline and law enforcement, where appropriate. And so that training is designed to specifically showcase ways in which hotels can potentially provide opportunities for that exploitation, and how we can mitigate that risk, both from, like you said, any role—front desk all the way to our culinary and our cooks. And we've seen such a tremendous amount of engagement across our industry by all different types of employees, who not only are taking that education and turning it into action by making those reports while at work, but also in their communities, because ultimately, our job as an industry is to be a community steward, and we're creating more eyes and ears, whether it's reporting while at work or in the communities where we all live and reside.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)SPEAKER_09

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Strong.

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Chairman McCaul, and thank you to the witnesses for being with us today, and to Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Poe for making this hearing happen. Thank you both. As the United States prepares for several major international events, understanding the trafficking risk associated with mass gathering is increasingly important. There are not many issues that bring both sides of the aisle together. This could be the one. You think about this morning, I was in a hearing related to unmanned aerial vehicles, drones around mass gathering events. We need to defeat both of these issues, trafficking and drones, at the same level. Mr. Thompson, it's great to be with you again. From your perspective, how do mass gathering events like the World Cup strain law enforcement capacity to address human trafficking?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Thank you, Mr. Strong. It's always a pleasure to be here with you, as well. There's an enormous strain on local law enforcement today, as you know as well as I do. We are overtaxed and undermanned in many, many agencies across this country. That's just a fact. The ability to recruit and retain people has been difficult on a good day, to put it mildly. The past 5 years, we've seen some really, really tough times. People, that's number one. Second challenge is that technology is moving so fast that the criminal element, sadly, is more sophisticated than the most sophisticated Wall Street banks. These are really sharp, very motivated individuals and organizations. They have the best of the best to circumvent being caught, circumvent the investigations, and circumvent the communications systems, and they're doing it as we speak.

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)SPEAKER_04

Absolutely. As, uh, those pressures increase, how effective are current information-sharing mechanisms such as, uh, coordination between federal, state, and local partners and the use of fusion centers in identifying trafficking activities tied to major events?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Mr. Strong, this is a a soft subject for me. I've been in this job for 11 years, and this has been a number-two priority for me is the information intelligence sharing, criminal intelligence sharing, from the federal government down to the local level, to the boots on the ground. And it's it's long overdue, and I think, I think the National Counterterrorism Center and the ODNI have finally cracked a code. If we can't put that information onto a device in the hands of a law enforcement, sworn law enforcement officer, what to look for, what to be concerned about, and take the see something, say something up to the highest possible level, then we are totally missing the boat. But I think, I think they're about to do that. And I believe that there there's two programs we are working with the intelligence community and DHS on to try and get this finally fixed so that we can streamline getting that information from the President of the United States down to the boots on the ground. It's that It's possible, it's doable. It's not a technological problem. It's a will. It's a will.

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)SPEAKER_04

I'll tell you, we've got to break these fiefdoms down so that we can get this information and this the information gathering. I know we've talked about it, and I know your desire. The National Child Advocacy Center was started in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, and is now all over the country, and I see how that works. Local law enforcement, state, federal, DAs, all in one facility. It makes a difference, and we've got to continue that fight. Ms. McCoy, hotels are often on the front lines of trafficking detection. How prepared is the hospitality industry for the coming influx of visitors as the U.S. hosts major international events?

Eliza McCoySPEAKER_06

We certainly know that human trafficking is an insidious crime across the nation in a variety of different communities and locations. And for us in the hotel industry, we have had a long-standing commitment to being at the ready from a training perspective and operational perspective. And certainly when we have large events such as the ones we've talked about today, we take the opportunity to amplify those efforts, to reinforce them. But it certainly is something that has become an automatic component to every employee's experience in our industry and something that we just continue to double down on when we have the attention and the awareness from these major events.

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you. Looking beyond preparedness efforts, Ms. Vafa, how do traffickers exploit the high travel volumes during major sporting events?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Well, they use these trafficking routes. The traditional routes that were used for the drug trades have been repurposed, of course. But again, I'd like to emphasize from my testimony, trafficking is a market crime. And while it's very important to focus on traffickers, and trafficker enforcement and prosecutions are essential, traffickers are merely responding to the demand that is created by sex buyers. And so, buyer deterrence addresses economic incentives upstream. And so, we have federal laws, we have state laws that mandate buyer deterrence and buyer enforcement, and that's just not being done at the federal level to scale. It's being discouraged through TVPA grant programs, through the enhanced collaborative model. We're literally getting language from OVC discouraging these types of proactive deterrence mechanisms even though we know they work. We have evidence from jurisdictions that they work, and we're just spinning our wheels if we're just going after traffickers until we actually focus on the true drivers of the harm when we know they inflict just as much, if not more, egregious forms of violence on victims all over the country. And so, yes, it's very important to look at these patterns and detect and respond to the trafficker and exploiters' patterns, but it's also very important to be observing buyer behavior through online sex ads. We have evidence—we were just speaking to partners this morning about the PGA Tour. They've been tracking it for several years, looking at baseline online sex ads. They see a surge every time the PGA Tour comes to town. You can see this with many other big events and large-scale events that come to host cities. And so, again, I just want to emphasize the importance of not just looking at traffickers, but also sex buyers when it comes to sex trafficking.

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you. I'm going to tell you, Ms. Litvak and Ms. Lundstrom, two of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

I thank the gentleman. And if I could just echo, I'll tell you what, we go after a couple of high-profile buyers, they're going to pucker up, and so is the entire marketplace. It'll have a very strong impact on who's going to be involved in trying to buy humans. Now with that, the chairman recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Correa.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today, especially the victims that have had guts.

SPEAKER_UNKNOWN

Excuse your voice for a second.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Would you like me to—. my fault.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ)SPEAKER_00

Go ahead, please.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)

Thank you.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ)SPEAKER_00

Thank you. I'm sorry about that, Lou. Thank you to our co-chairs for spearheading this hearing today. Truly delighted to be here to hear from our witnesses. I want to thank each of you for being here today and for having the humility and vulnerability to testify. Thank you so much. As a mother, a daughter, and a sister, this issue is deeply personal to me. The fear of a loved one going missing and being exploited is unimaginable, and it is our responsibility to ensure authorities have the tools they need to prevent trafficking and protect victims, especially during large-scale events. Human trafficking, as been mentioned multiple times on this dais today, is a horrific crime that affects all of our communities. It is particularly horrific because the victims are often among the most vulnerable people in society: minorities, immigrants, children, and people of color. I want to talk a little bit about the impact of human trafficking for Black Americans. Black women and girls are among the most vulnerable populations in the United States. In fact, while only around 12% of the U.S. population is Black, the victims and survivors of sex trafficking are 40% Black. These numbers raise important questions about the victimization and the criminalization of Black women and girls. Ms. Vafa, I want to go to you, because I know you have written about this issue. Could you walk us through some of the reasons Black girls in particular are being victimized, trafficked, and revictimized through the criminal justice system?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Yes, thank you so much for that question. Rights4Girls has written extensively about this topic. We offer numerous trainings on this topic as well. We have to understand the sex trade in the United States today as a legacy of this nation's longstanding history of racialized and gendered violence. It stems directly from colonization and the transatlantic slave trade. And understanding it as part of that longstanding history where sex trafficking was one of the first things that happened as a result of colonization and the trafficking and enslavement of indigenous women and girls, followed closely by the trafficking that happened as a result of transatlantic slavery and, for example, the fancy girl trade, which is one of the earliest documented instances of sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of Black women and even young men who were sold explicitly for sexual exploitation in this country, we have to understand that much of the conditions that we see today in the sex trade are an extension of that history and that generations, hundreds of years, of normalizing the commodification of Black and brown, predominantly female bodies for male profit and pleasure have really created the conditions that we see today. So we have many of these fact sheets on our websites and in our report. Basically, any jurisdiction that you look at across the country today, we see a glaring overrepresentation of predominantly Black and Indigenous women and girls, but to use one example, we can submit this further for the record. King County, which is the area around Seattle, Washington, we know that Black people are 7% of the population, but they represent 44% of child trafficking victims. In that same jurisdiction where white people are 66% of the population, the sex buyers are 73% white men. So, just to give you a sense of that disproportionality, we've also collected this data to disaggregate these types of disparities across the country. What really adds to this injustice is that, to your point, Black women and girls are overrepresented amongst those who are criminalized for their exploitation. We call this the sexual abuse-to-prison pipeline in our work and advocacy. Trafficking is one manifestation of this abuse-to-prison pipeline. And Black girls in particular are affected through different forms of intersectional biases, predominantly what's known as adultification bias. And this is a documented form of implicit bias. The Georgetown Law Center on Gender Justice and Opportunity has documented this in a report called Girlhood Interrupted, but it's been shown that young Black girls receive many of the same stereotypes that are often attributed to Black women, again, stemming from colonization and slavery, around them being seemed as promiscuous, seductive, angry, defiant. They're projected onto Black girls. And as a result, through this research that Georgetown conducted, Black girls are seen as less innocent and much older than their white peers. And when they experience sexual abuse and sex trafficking, they're seen as less traumatized by that abuse and in fact complicit in that abuse. And so subsequent research has shown that they're more likely to be deemed as offenders than victims of crime. And so there's research to support this, but that is a very quick overview of that trajectory.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ)SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, thank you so much. I heard, like, inhale, exhale up here while you were delivering some of that data. Um, truly thankful for your expertise and you sharing that research and that data with many of us here. I want to thank each of you once again for being here and for sharing your testimony. And with that, I'm going to be respectful to the 5-minute time, and I'm going to yield back.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, and thank you for calling attention to that racial disparity. I was not aware of that as well. The chair now recognizes Mr. Crane from Arizona.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to say thank you to the panel for coming today. Obviously a very heavy subject. I especially want to thank the the victims here today for coming and testifying about what we can do to help stop sex trafficking, especially around major sporting events in the U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan recently announced that more than 62,000 migrant children have been rescued by the Trump administration and saved from truly despicable conditions, including sex trafficking, forced labor, after they crossed the border without parents under the Biden administration. According to a 2024 DHS OIG report, the Biden administration released 291,000 thousand unaccompanied alien children without notices to appear or a scheduled court date and had no way of tracking them after they arrived in the country. What makes this even more troubling is that just yesterday, over 200 House Democrats voted against the Kayla Hamilton Act, legislation that includes provision that strengthen protections for unaccompanied alien children by requiring thorough background checks of potential sponsors and adult household members and imposing stricter criminal history requirements. Sheriff, do you think that these families that we're putting these unaccompanied minors into—do you think that those families should be vetted?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Absolutely.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

You think they should be thoroughly vetted?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Absolutely, top to bottom.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Can you see any reason why people in this very chamber would be voting against that?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

I, I can't, I can't think of a reason.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Thanks, Sheriff. Ms. Vafa, you mentioned several major sporting events where many traffickers and predators were arrested, and I appreciate you bringing up that data. I'm guessing most of these arrests were likely due to digital online investigations. Can you confirm or deny that?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Um, I, I would have to go back and check, but I assume, um, many of these were based on online stings and some joint cooperative between local and, and likely federal law enforcement.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Thank you, Ms. Litvak. Thank you so much for that amazing testimony. When I get to hear individuals like yourself who have taken something that's just awful and atrocious and turn it into something amazing and beautiful, it's one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard. And I also appreciate that you brought up one of my favorite scripture verses as well, Genesis 50:20. I think that's so awesome. I've never met you in my life, but I'm proud of you for doing what you're doing. What would you like to tell young boys and girls and parents that might listen to this hearing about how to avoid the awful victimization that you endured?

Courtney LitvakSPEAKER_08

Thank you so much for sharing that, and also for acknowledging, you know, this is also a spiritual battle as much as it is physical. It's pure evil. But what I want people to know, don't think—families, parents—that this can't happen to you, and this can't happen, because it happens in our own backyard. No Trafficking Zone understands this happens in every single school district. This happened to me in Katy ISD. There's wonderful teachers there. Some of my best friends work there, but also there's a lot of complacency. So not always are people's intentions malicious, but parents and families need to be on the lookout for vulnerable children. And Jeffrey Epstein and the Ghislaine Maxwell case is a great example of this, who were recruiting and paying other children who were impoverished and who were in marginalized and different communities that were more susceptible to being given whether it was a couple hundred dollars or an incentive for peer-on-peer recruitment. So this anybody can be a victim, anybody can be a trafficker, and anybody can be a buyer as well, but also a procurer of forced labor. And this can happen to any child. And I never want somebody to have to walk through what myself and my family have walked through, and countless other victims, so many who will never get to have their voices heard and they have a voice, but many people sadly do not make it out. It's 1%. Don't wait until this happens to you where it's It should become personal before this happens to you, where everybody takes up arms and covers our communities, our churches, our schools, our institution, our government in prayer constantly. But we're in such a divisive time and we really need more unity, but also education and awareness. Be prepared before it happens to you.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Thank you. My last question, Ms. Lundstrom. You discussed many failures in our legal system to hold traffickers accountable. You went through several examples of arrests and then people not being—traffickers not being held accountable. In your opinion, ma'am, what is the disconnect with our justice system? Why do you think more of these individuals aren't actually being incarcerated and held accountable?

Meagan LundstromSPEAKER_07

It's a great question, and I wish that there was a single answer. I think there are many different systems failures along the way, and the reality is, because we don't have comprehensive data and because we don't share information across information silos, we're not truly able to see a full picture of where those gaps are and how best to address them. That's actually something that Polaris is working on right now is a national framework that would help identify risk patterns across industries, coordinate law enforcement and service providers, and deploy resources to where they're needed. But ultimately, it starts with having that data and intelligence and being able to talk about it and look at the different pieces of this story.

Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ)SPEAKER_10

Thank you. I yield back.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

If I just add, Ms. Litvak came from a very wealthy suburb of Houston that was in my district at that time. You wouldn't think this would happen in a place like that, but no neighborhood is protected from this. That's why we introduced the the No— Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act to increase the penalties to 5 years in prison, just like we have the same policy for guns in school zones. Why in the world wouldn't we be able to pass that kind of legislation that has a harsh penalty for human traffickers found in school zones? Mr. Thompson,

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

pass it. Pass it today. Not next week. Pass it right now.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Thanks for the endorsement. The gentleman now from California is recognized again, Mr. Correa.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, I want to thank the witnesses for being here today, especially the victims for speaking up. I'm from Orange County, California, probably one of

SPEAKER_UNKNOWN

the

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

wealthiest counties in California, in the United States. Last I looked, more than 50% of the young girls in juvenile hall were there because of prostitution. I'm hearing you say this is a demand business. I also hear you say 1/3 of men arrested were released within days of being arrested. Is that correct? I'm hearing that maybe the laws are there, or are they not? Do we need stronger laws to shame these individuals so that their community knows that they are actually having sex with underage children? Is that what we need to do? Please.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Well, I'm not sure if you followed what happened in California, but it was actually very difficult to get felony accountability for buyers of child sex. So this was a huge battle in California. We ended up finally coming to a compromise where there was a three-year differential. But this was very difficult. And in our Buyers Unmasked—

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

You wonder, you have to come to a compromise.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Yeah.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

to move ahead with prosecuting these individuals. Sex crimes are the most underreported crimes there are in society today. And I hear some of you saying we need to wait for data. I don't think we need to wait for data. We know what the hell is going on. Okay? Sex slavery. We need to do everything in our disposal to stop this. We're 6 months away from the FIFA World Cup events here in the United States, and to think that we're heading in this direction. Do we need to activate volunteer groups? See something, say something, and make sure that we tell these johns, Don't even think about it because we are going to be going after you. We're going to make sure we arrest you. Your names are going to be publicly displayed. Give me some advice. I want some ideas. What do we do to go after these individuals?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

So there's there's multi-pronged things we can do. But I want to first say to Meagan's point, and she talked about the traffickers, there was a there was a report by Shared Hope that looked at 134 cases of men buying sex from minors, and 26% served no time, and 69% of those that got sentences had them suspended. So this notion that, you know, even buyers of child sex, like surely we hold them accountable, it's just not the case. So, you know, in many cases, the laws are on the books. We just need, you know, the the political will to enforce them. But there are all sorts of different modules now. You know, there's AI, there's transaction intercept, which this organization Street Grace is working with tons of law enforcement all over the country to implement. There's all sorts of states in the last couple years—four states have made it a felony to buy sex and are working to implement this. I know DHS has been very active in states like Texas and has been doing excellent work. So it's not necessarily, you know, passing more laws, although in some states that's been incredibly effective. It

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

sounds like we need to enforce them. And like you said, exactly, the political will is needed. And Mr. Chairman, I don't know about you, but we're at the federal level, and I'd like to see us do something legislatively to make sure that these laws are enforced— federal laws at the federal level.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

And especially the grant programs that we have under TVPA, making clear that the enhanced collaborative models that traditionally were able to be used for these proactive demand reduction operations can continue to be used to do so. For the last few years, there's been direct language from OVC explicitly banning them from using that funding to do these proactive demand reduction operations. Because you'd have to ask OVC, but in our estimation, it's probably because they're seen as going against sex worker rights. And so it's really important to understand—

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

This is not about the sex worker. These are about the johns.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Exactly.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

We want to go after the demand.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Exactly. And irrespective, this demand for commercial sex is what drives the market that fuels trafficking. And it's very important to realize that we have to target the demand in order to prevent trafficking.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

This is just an outrage, and I would ask our chairman and ranking member to work together to come up with some kind of a mechanism to make sure we enforce the laws on the book, and also make sure that we shame the hell out of these johns and make sure that their community knows that they are doing some very bad things in our communities.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Mr.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

Chairman, I'm out of time. Oh,

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Mr. Chairman, if you'd indulge me for just a second, I want to make something very, very clear. Those numbers are startling. And what we're seeing is that cops and deputies and federal officials, they're arresting them, they're bringing them in, but we don't set the terms. We don't prosecute them. We're not sitting on the bench releasing them,

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

right? If I can add to that, I, as a federal prosecutor and former state, I— in the the case of gun violence, we were able to move gun cases from state to federal where we had mandatory minimum sentencing under the guidelines, right? Five-year, as opposed to sometimes in state courts it fluctuates. Maybe, Ms. Vafa, if you could elaborate on, are there any mandatory minimums for this type of offense under the federal sentencing guidelines?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

So there is a mandatory minimum assigned to the 1591, which is the federal trafficking crime. And under the federal trafficking crime, patronize and solicits is part of the trafficking offense. Again, it's just a matter of whether federal law enforcement and prosecutors will apply that to sex buyers. It's been a part of the law since 2015. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act made it clear in the sense of Congress under that law. They addressed the fact that there was some ambiguity given that a couple of federal cases essentially dismissed cases that went after sex buyers as part of the Sturgis Rally biker cases. And so they wanted to remove all doubt that the word obtains could apply to sex buyers. And so they added patronize and solicits. And I think many years ago, Congressman Sensenbrenner had added mandatory minimums to 1591. So they are—

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

the mandatory minimums take the discretion away from the judge,

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

correct?

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

They have to impose that mandatory minimum sentence. And so I don't understand, is that not being done?

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

It's just a matter of if prosecutors are willing to go after sex So it's

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

more on the, on the, on the—

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

correct. It's still

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Justice Department and state prosecutors that are not doing this,

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

correct?

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Because under the sentencing guidelines, it does provide for that. It's just if they're not going to ask for that as part of the sentencing,

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

right? That's my understanding. I mean, there's still some confusion. I mean, even, um, you know, certain, you know, lawmakers are still unaware of the federal trafficking definitions, right? If there's an exchange of sex for anything of value with a minor, that under federal law constitutes trafficking. Yet, you know, we'll still see instances of confusion in the press or concerning certain matters here. And there still seems to be confusion, whereas— should

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

be any sex with a minor, irrespective of whether there's an exchange, is a crime.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Right. And it's a trafficking

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

minimum.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

Right.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Mr. Thompson, can you maybe shed some light on this? I'm still a little confused. Is this just a matter of maybe at the state level, or the prosecutors are not pursuing the mandatory minimum sentencing?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

I think it's a combination of factors. I think caseloads are overwhelming judges.

SPEAKER_UNKNOWN

The,

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

um, the caseloads are overwhelming prosecutors. This comes down to dollars and cents because they don't have the money to be pay more, pay more prosecutors, whether it's U.S. attorneys or local prosecutors. We can, we can send out more deputies and we can send up more cops. That's not the problem in my best— it's a part of the problem, but it's not the solution. The country has got to decide how serious a crime by a man against a woman for sex trafficking is. You're either going to face the punishment Or you're going to get a slap on the wrist,

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

right?

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Now, in my estimation, it's the punishment. You're going to be ostracized, to Mr. Correa point. You're going to You're going to carry around that stigma for the rest of your life that you were part of a sex trafficking operation. But the fact is, is that the country's not willing to go there right now.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Well, in my experience, the pedophiles were the lowest of the low in the prison system.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

That's something that, you know, we have to recognize and acknowledge as a government. This is all of us. This isn't Rs and Ds and Is and—

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

No, this is a totally—

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

I disagree with you. Let's test it. I bet the country's ready to go there.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

I hope you're right, sir. I'm such a cynic. You know me

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

better than many.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

I hope I'm— I hope you're right. I, I do believe, I do believe that Our parents, our teachers, our doctors and nurses, our cops, everyone in the chain, the social chain, has a huge oar in this. They have to play a role. Parents need to tell their children, look out, be careful, look both ways, not just crossing the street. The doctors that do the physicals and the dentists that, that check on these kids, hey, Are you aware? Are you thinking about the teachers, the things we're teaching in school today versus the things we should be teaching on common sense, on protecting one another? Watch your fellow student. Is she falling victim? Is there a stranger hanging around the schoolyard? Are they offering you things? Are they playing games? This is common sense, but yet I can tell you this is not happening.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Well, school districts, like in Courtney's case, they turned a blind eye.

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

Absolutely. To

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

her groomer, who was a student, by the way. And then she was fed to the traffickers, like, you know, like

Jonathan ThompsonSPEAKER_02

lions. Liability. They're afraid that the trial lawyers are going to run in and sue them till they're dead.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

Which they do. Which they should. Which they should.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Well, we'd like to follow up on this specific area. I was not aware of the mandatory minimum or lack of enforcement thereof, and perhaps work with you, Mr. Correa, and Ms. Pou, and Mr. Stone, and all members of this task force on a solution to this one, because I think this could make a serious dent. If you get to the high-profile buyers, you're going to make a real dent in the in the sort of marketing, if you will, of this criminal enterprise.

Yasmin VafaSPEAKER_01

It also comes with a $5,000 mandatory fine that populates into a domestic trafficking victims fund. And so there's lots of incentive to up these prosecutions.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)SPEAKER_05

Oh, excellent. Well, I want to thank the witnesses. This has been a very profound hearing on a very ugly situation in this country and the world, and I hope we can make a difference to protect these victims. And we have 2 before us here today, and thank you for your testimony. I know it's not easy to talk about this publicly, and a lot of victims don't, but it was very valuable to this task force. So with that, this hearing stands adjourned, and thank you again for being here.

SPEAKER_UNKNOWN

This was great.