Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority
Source: Louisiana Illuminator
Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority
As Republicans reel from the fallout surrounding accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, advocates working on human trafficking issues say the administration has abandoned promises to prioritize the issue.
By: Mel Leonor Baclay, Marissa Martinez and Jennifer Gerson, The 19th - July 19, 2025 3:00 pm
A key office charged by Congress with coordinating the federal government’s work against human trafficking was gutted July 11, the latest in a string of cuts across different agencies to the government’s work on an issue that Republicans have long hailed as a top priority.
The cuts at the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) decimated a team that worked to combat labor and sex trafficking abroad and helped coordinate domestic efforts across other agencies, including the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Labor.
The so-called “reduction-in-force” at the State Department came amid a maelstrom surrounding the Trump administration over its handling of federal investigations into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Officials have said he died by suicide, but his death sparked new conspiracy theories that were fueled by President Donald Trump, who at one point maintained a friendship with Epstein. When this month the Justice Department said there was no Epstein client list, after previously promising to release it, many who had supported Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were angered, in part because they believed the client list would reveal new truths about Epstein.
Republicans have for years made human trafficking a key issue, pushing for legislation to boost law enforcement and support for victims and telling voters that combating trafficking was a major priority.
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Read more: https://lailluminator.com/2025/07/19/human-trafficking-2/
= new reply since forum marked as read
sick evil fucking administration 
